Two of the many symbols for describing the Spirit are included by Luke in this Pentecost narrative. To explain the inexplicable, to describe the indescribable, Luke portrays the presence of the Spirit as being "like a strong, driving wind" or like "tongues as of fire." Elsewhere in the scriptures, the presence of God's Spirit has been variously depicted as a "dove" (Luke 3:22), as a bush burning but not consumed (Exodus 3:2) and even as "a tiny whispering sound" or a "still, small silence" (1 Kings 19:1 2). While these are attractive symbols,[i] William Bausch suggests that the ancient Irish were more correct when it came to Pentecost.
In the Celtic tradition, the Holy Spirit is represented not as a dove, peaceful and pure, but as a wild goose! Geese, says Bausch, are not controllable; they make a lot of noise with their honking and have a habit of biting those who try to contain them. They fly faster in a flock than on their own and they make excellent "guard dogs."
Like the wild goose, the uncontainable Spirit of God demands a hearing. Its song is not always sweet and calming but is often strong, challenging and unnerving. The wild goose of Pentecost corrals people together and demands that they support and travel with one another. Those upon whom this wild goose rests are thereby often compelled to become noisy, passionate and courageous guardians of the gospel. Forget the quiet cooing of the dove. Pentecost's Spirit honks, commanding that we be attentive to the needs of the poor. "Honk!" shouts the Spirit of Pentecost when justice is denied, when dignity is damaged, when rights are deprived, when sin goes unchecked, when life is not preserved and respected. "Honk!" sounds the Spirit, demanding that the Good News of Jesus' saving death and glorious resurrection is proclaimed to all without discrimination and without stinting. It was this same Spirit that enabled all who heard them preach that day to understand, in their own language, the marvels that God has accomplished. [ii]
The coming down of the Holy Spirit is a second creation of a world. It hearkens back to the Book of Genesis when God created the world. There God breathed life into the nostrils of man and human life was created. Adam was the crown of creation. God had already created everything else by his Almighty Spirit, breathing where he willed, and things came into being. And God, looking on his creation, said, "It is very good."
Here at Pentecost God, Jesus, again breathes forth a new creation. In the first reading from Acts, the breathing cannot be mistaken, for it comes in a mighty wind. In the gospel the breathing is more subtle and quiet as Jesus breathes softly on the apostles, transferring to them the creative power to forgive or retain sins. Forgiveness is a process of new life: Jesus gives his church the gift. We are to use it.
Jesus intended his gifts for all. Luke points this out by including a listing of all nations represented among the crowd. "Anyone with a map of the ancient Near Eastern World as it existed ca. 30 C.E. will realize that Luke's list encompasses most of the then-known world. His point? Creation's encore is to be experienced and enjoyed by all.
"Paul, in his Corinthian correspondence (second reading) also leaves no doubt as to the divine intent: "To each person, the manifestation of the Spirit is given. All of us have been given to drink of the one Spirit" (vv. 7, 13). Similarly the Gospel of John today portrays the risen Jesus breathing the Spirit on all of his disciples as he had earlier promised (vv. 22; 14:16-17). They, in turn, are sent forth in the power of that Spirit on a universal mission of evangelization." [iii]
The late Bishop Fulton Sheen had to find out for himself that the Spirit was sent to all, even lepers.
- Sheen tells of visiting a leper colony in Africa on behalf of the Society
for the Propagation of the Faith. He brought with him enough small
crucifixes to give to each of the 500 lepers living in the camp.
The first leper to meet him had only a stump of his left arm. His right arm and hand were covered with the white open sores of leprosy. Bishop Sheen held the crucifix a few inches above the leper's hand and let it drop into his palm. Bishop Sheen was immediately struck by what he had done.
"At that moment there were 501 lepers in that camp, and the most leprous of them all was myself. I had taken the symbol of redemption, of divine love, and had refused to identify myself with all that that symbol implied. It is so easy to love humanity in general but so difficult at times to love a particular man. It is easy to help the lepers, but when one meets a particular leper, then a special effort is required.
"Seeing myself in the full shame of refusing to identify with this victim, I looked at the crucifix in the putrid mass in his hand and realized that I, too, must become one with suffering humanity. Then I pressed my hand to his hand with the symbol of love between us and continued to do it or the other 499 lepers." [iv]
We are given the gift of faith, Pentecost reminds us, as a gift to be shared. We are given new life that we might live it for others in imitation of the Lord himself. We are born again so that we might lead others to new life in Christ. As the Methodist Old Testament scholar Harrell Beck put it, "The first question of biblical religion is not: Are you saved? But the first question of biblical religion is: Could God possibly use you for saving somebody else?" [v]
And disciples are called to carry on the mission of Jesus. That's why the church exists. That's why each of us has been called to be part of church. We gather around the Eucharistic table every week to be strengthened to carry out our mission as disciples.
If Pentecost is properly called the birthday of the church, that is because it celebrates the beginning of the church's outreach to the nations and calls each of us to renew our commitment to that mission. We have been entrusted with the great commission of Christ: to tell the whole world the good news of his resurrection.
...When someone gives us a gift, we show our appreciation by making good use of that gift, not by hiding a painting in the attic or using a vase for target practice. We have each been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. We give thanks to God by making good use of that gift too by letting the Spirit guide us and empower us to carry on the mission of Christ in our own time. [vi]
We are gifted at Pentecost. We receive charisms from the Holy Spirit.
- There was a little girl who had a grandfather she loved very much, and she
always looked forward to visiting him. Her grandfather had a collection of
hourglasses and the little girl always had fun turning them upside down and
watching the sand shift through. Once she asked her grandfather why he had all those hourglasses. He said
they remind him that time was the most precious thing in the world.
The little girl had not seen her grandfather for weeks. Eventually her mother told her that grandfather was in the hospital because he was very sick and he might die. The little girl wasn't sure what death was. Her mother said that life was like one of grandfather's hourglasses and that grandfather had very little time left.
Mom said that they were going to visit grandfather and asked the little girl to make him a special gift. The girl spent the rest of the morning working on her gift. When they got to the hospital, the little girl gave her grandfather a beautifully wrapped box. Her grandfather slowly unwrapped his present and looked inside and smiled. The little girl had filled the box with sand. [vii]
Community requires that we listen to each other. When the apostles went out to preach to peoples of differing nationalities, all heard in their own language. So we must say that hearing is one of the first gifts that come with community.
Sometimes it is not difference of language but stubbornness or indifference of spirit and heart, which makes it difficult to hear the gospel. Maya Angelou writes:
- "In my twenties in San Francisco, I became a sophisticate
and an acting agnostic. It wasn't that I stopped believing in God; it's just
that God didn't seem to be around the neighborhoods I frequented. One day my
voice teacher asked me to read a passage from a book, a section which ended
with these words: 'God loves me.' He said, 'Read it again.'
"After about the seventh repetition, I began to sense that there might be truth in the statement, that there was a possibility that God really did love me. Me. Maya Angelou. I suddenly began to cry at the grandness of it all. I knew that if God loved me, then I could do wonderful things. I could try great things, learn anything, achieve anything. For what could stand against me and God?" - Pop star Cliff Richard visited a Bihari refugee camp in Bangladesh. He says the first morning he must have washed his hands a dozen times. He didn't want to touch anything, least of all the people. Everyone was covered with sores and scabs. "I was bending down to one little mite, mainly for the photographer's benefit, and trying hard not to have too close a contact," says Richardson. "Just then, someone accidentally stood on the child's fingers. He screamed and, as a reflex, I grabbed him, forgetting his dirt and his sores. I remember that warm little boy clinging to me and the crying instantly stopping. In that moment I knew I had much to learn about practical Christian loving, but that at least I'd started." [viii]
[i] William J. Bausch, A World of Stories (Twenty-Third Publications, Mystic
CT: 1998).
[ii] Patricia Datchuk Sanchez "Acts of the Apostles," Celebration 30
(257-8), 6 (Celebration, 115 East Armour Boulevard, Kansas City, MO
64111-1203), June 2001/
[iii] Ibid. pg. 257.
[iv] Cited in Sunday Sermons, September/October 1983, as quoted in
Connections, 6th Sunday of the Year, February 1994, Mediaworks, 15
Brandywine Common, Derry NH 03038.
[v] From a talk on Thesis (vol. 1, no. 3, April 1986, a taped periodical),
titled "Jealous God of Biblical Faith vs. the Great Mush God of Public
Religion."
[vi] Lawrence E. Mick, "Serving the word," Homily Service 34 (3): 16-17
(Homily Service, The Liturgical Conference 415 Michigan Ave. NE, Suite 65,
Washington D.C. 20017-1518) June 2001.
[vii] Rob Gilbert, Editor, Bits & Pieces, as quoted by Fr. Edward Steiner in
"Pentecost," The Priest 57 (5) 22 (The Priest, 200 Noll Plaza, Huntington IN
46750) June 2001.
[viii] Janice W. Hearn, "reassures found in the attic: ears to hear,"
Lectionary Homiletics, 12 (7): 7 (Lectionary Homiletics, Inc., 13540 East
Boundary Road, Building 2, Suite 105, Midlothian, VA 23112), June 2001.
(Comments to Jerry at padre@tri-lakes.net. Jerry's book, Stories For All Seasons, is available at a discount through the Homiletic Resource Center.)