We are still living in the shadow of the pandemic as Pentecost approaches
AS we move towards Pentecost, I have been reflecting on what it may mean to us today. Of course, Pentecost celebrates God’s giving of the Holy Spirit, a fulfilment of ancient prophecy.
As I write, I am thinking that we are still living in the shadow of the pandemic that shattered the world so much. The pandemic revealed to us how fragile we are, how much we need one another, not just in the macro level of government but at micro level of individual relationships. Another sad image we see in our times is that of war and violence destroying people’s lives and homes, moving many to seek sanctuary elsewhere.
Pentecost, remind Christians of the day when God blessed people with the Holy Spirit, and this reminds people that the Spirit of God is poured out “upon all flesh”.
Reflecting on this, I wonder if Christians today can recognise the memory of Pentecost, the concluding moment of Jesus life on earth.
The day of Pentecost reveals the Holy Spirit’s longing for embracing differences, plurality, and a welcoming spirit as a sign of the evolving world order epitomised by Christ. But we have witnessed in our current world the growing authoritarianism. There is unrest in different parts of the world. We have a war in Ukraine due to the invasion by Russia, which in itself is a failure to respect the sovereignty of other nations and embrace the other.
Each day many people are trying to cross whatever barrier is in the way to find safety and a better life. As soon as people are deprived of their homes, their families, and familiar surroundings, they will be grateful for welcome, hospitality and safety.
The Pentecost conveys a belief that the Holy Spirit is active, causing the community of believers to move forward and outward and carry forward God’s kingdom even to people they would rather not spend time with. Pentecost challenges the church to lead communities to see different people of diverse cultures as marked and blessed by the Holy Spirit.
I hope the world and our communities today can learn from the message of Pentecost, to embrace diversity and bring people into communion and intimacy. It is this love which can embrace differences in cultures, and languages, race, gender, class, etc.
I hope as we move closer to Pentecost, we keep in mind not only the unity but the justice, love, power of the Spirit of God, that was poured out on all just as Peter says in Acts 2, that God’s Spirit will be poured upon all flesh. This means God blesses all people, people of different nations.
The Pentecost spirit, living the way of love of Jesus Christ, is to broaden and deepen relationships across diverse “cultures, creeds, colours and identities, to end hatred, and all together to build cultures where all are welcome, and valued”.
Our local communities can be united in building hospitality. We have fantastic opportunities in our multicultural, multi-ethnic and plural
societies to meet and eat with each other, to share our stories and discover our interconnectedness, and link the local with the global.