"…When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability…"
(Acts 2:1-4)

Those early Christians had a pretty good deal…it was hard to ignore the violent winds, the tongues as of fire, the rush of the Holy Spirit and the multiplicity of languages! Would that we were so lucky! It is much easier than trying to find the Holy Spirit in quiet meditation…hoping that if we only do it "well enough" the Spirit will come. For some people it does frequently, for others less often. This is the discovery of the Holy Spirit within us, a Spirit of interiority.
The word for spirit is ruach meaning rushing wind, so one can also understand that the Holy Spirit comes and blows us out into the world, as it did the disciples. That Spirit then becomes one of exteriority, calling us as to follow the life of Christ.
The Holy Spirit came to that early community and to those individuals when they were gathered together, and those around them heard that Spirit speaking through them in many languages. At that time there were many different groups in Jerusalem and each heard in his/her own tongue. We hear that the Spirit came to everyone, even the slaves – no one was excluded and "…all who believed and proclaimed God's name would be saved." That Spirit empowered the uneducated disciples and propelled them into the world to teach about Jesus Christ. Ultimately the Gospel was spread throughout the then known world.
Language is a curious thing. As our corporate models get more global they often do not pay enough attention to the language of their potential market. This was illustrated by Susan Resnick Pierce in her inaugural address as President of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington:
The name "Coca Cola" spelled phonetically came out "bite the wax tadpole." Needless to say, that marketing tact failed.
Chevrolet Nova, in South America, was translated "won't go."
Pepsi's slogan "Come alive with Pepsi" was translated in Taiwan as "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave."
Eastern Airlines "We earn our wings" mistranslated in Spanish as "Passengers arrive at their destination as Angels."
Parker Pen's leak proof cartridge in Flemish was understood to "prevent unwanted pregnancies."
And the piece de resistance in mistranslation was Frank Perdue's "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken" as "It takes a virile man to make a chicken affectionate." '(Copied)
Language is essential to relationship and understanding…so it is no mistake that the Spirit was heard and understood by each. It is also important to dispel the notion that this was glossolalia, "speaking in tongues," an unintelligible language of prayer. The message was clear…the Holy Spirit came for all people.
When they were accused of being drunk, Peter countered by quoting Joel: "…In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh……Even upon my slaves, both men and women…" That means you and me and everyone, even those who differ radically from us. All of us are empowered and charged to follow the disciples into the world.
As I mentioned earlier, the coming of the Holy Spirit to us is more subtle than to the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. We need to listen, to pay attention, to be sensitive to our intuition. Is it really just coincidence when we call or visit someone at exactly the right time? At times we say just the right thing, help someone at just the right moment…is that just luck? What about words of wisdom that come out of our mouths, unbidden and surprising?
I would suspect that that is one aspect of the Holy Spirit, the presence of God, in us as individuals, helping us to serve God's people. The more open and vulnerable we are the more likely we will be to be aware of the Holy Spirit in ourselves, others, and in our community as a whole.
In the Episcopal Church today some people just don't get it. I wonder, what part of "all people" don't they understand? What part of the presence of God's love in each of us are they not seeing? Sometimes we need to risk ending something that is not working in order to follow the Gospel. Sometimes we have to let go of the institution in favor of the words of Jesus Christ. I don't know how all of this will end, but know that we are called by the Gospel as a community and as individuals to work for radical inclusion and love.
I am preaching at Dignity this evening…for twenty years they have been at St. Margaret's. Vienna invited them when they could no longer worship in the Catholic Church. They processed here led by a vested crucifer. That crucifer was Peter Antoci, now an Episcopal priest raised up from this parish. We are blessed to have this relationship with Dignity. I truly believe that whenever people pray in this sanctuary, it seeps into the walls, transforming the worshipping community, the space and those who gather after.
All of us…St. Margaret's, Dignity, and Christians everywhere…are called to be open to the Holy Spirit in our personal lives and that of the community. We are called to pay attention, to listen, and to act, to be blown by the wind into the world, together, to bring about the Kingdom.
AMEN