Pentecost and Memorial Day: Spirit of Peace

Yet the deeper miracle of Pentecost. It's not merely that the disciples speak in many languages, but that people from many land, from many nations hear and understand one another. Jews from across the world, Egyptians, Romans, Arabs, they hear the good news in their own language. Pentecost is in many ways a reversal of Babel and Babel, even by fractured language and scattered people apart. But at Pentecost, God's Spirit creates understanding across differences. The Spirit doesn't erase diversity or force everyone into seeking. Instead, the Spirit creates unity within diversity that matters deeply in a divided world. [00:47:36] (51 seconds)  #UnityInDiversity

In a world that's addicted to division, the church is called to become something different. A people who are shaped by grace and by peace. As Mennonite Christians, we acknowledge that there is a terrible cost of violence and war. And we grieve the lives that are lost in the wounds that are carried by sin that we know. At the same time, we recommit ourselves to the difficult work of peacemaking. We believe Christ calls us and combine another way, the way of love with mercy and justice and reconciliation. [00:52:17] (39 seconds)  #ChoosePeacemaking

Yet Pentecost reminds us that the Spirit delights in ordinary people. The church doesn't survive because of human brilliance. The church survives because God continues proving life into imperfect communities. And perhaps that's exactly what many of us need to hear right now. Because the world we live in feels exhausting. There's so much division, so much anger, so much fear, so much loneliness. Many people can feel spiritually tired. Maybe some of us feel like Moses quietly praying, I can't carry this alone. And Pentecost reminds us that we were never supposed to carry alone. [00:50:53] (47 seconds)  #SpiritForOrdinary

What if the church truly became a Spirit filled community of reconciliation? What if we became known more for love than outrage, more for service and power, more more for compassion and division? What if the greater church became the place where lonely people found autonomy, where enemies learned to speak to one another, where children were cherished, where outsiders were welcomed, and where peace was practiced? [00:54:38] (30 seconds)  #LoveOverOutrage

The image of fire at Pentecost is important. And throughout Scripture we see that fire symbolizes the presence of God. The burning bush, the pillar of fire in the wilderness, the refining fire of the prophets. Yet the fire at Pentecost doesn't destroy people. It rests upon them. God's presence empowers rather than consumes. And what does this fire produce? Not Asia or domination or nationalism. It's witness. The disciples begin proclaiming the mighty deeds of God. The Spirit always points people towards God's love and God's mercy. If our spirituality does not make us more compassionate or more giving or more hospitable and more committed to peace, then we have probably misunderstood Pentecost. [00:52:57] (59 seconds)  #FireThatEmpowers

And Pentecost reminds us that we were never supposed to carry alone. The Spirit creates community. The burdens become shared. Gifts are shared. The mission is shared. And as we approach Memorial Day, Pentecost also calls us to reflect on the kind of community the Spirit creates. The Spirit poured out on Pentecostals. That doesn't create armies and empires. The Spirit creates communities of reconciliation. The early church crossed barriers of ethnicity, of language, class and status. Enemies became siblings at the Lord's table. [00:51:35] (43 seconds)  #CommunityOfReconciliation

The Spirit's work is not uniformity, but it's reconciliation. It's the creation of community among people who otherwise would remain strangers to one another. So Peter stands before the crowd and he quotes the prophet Joel. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. And these words are radical. All flesh, sons and daughters, young and old, servants and free. The Spirit is no longer reserved for kings and priests, prophets, but for these spiritually elite. Pentecost becomes the. A big word, but I couldn't find it better than I liked. The democratization of the Spirit. [00:48:28] (52 seconds)  #SpiritForAll

God tells Moses to gather 70 elders. And then God takes some of the spirit resting upon Moses and he places it upon them. Leadership is no longer concentrated on just Moses, on this one weary person. Instead, the spirit spreads outward into the community. And then comes one of the most beautiful moments in the story. There's two men el gabbing the ad and they remain behind in the camp instead of gathering with the others. Have the tent up here. We don't know why they did. [00:42:25] (34 seconds)  #SharedLeadership