Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104: 26-34; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17, 25-27
It seems that every day in our newspapers, on our tv screens, through our social media, podcasts, in our conversations, we hear about the world, the earth, and what is happening: the wars, disasters, the young attacking old men because of their colour, race or religion; people struggling to travel where they want and if they do travel, facing prejudice and rejection because of their country of origin; women, children, young and old being bombed and starved, their land taken because of greed, mutual distrust, hatred and the vicious cycle of revenge. It can seem that our world is in a parlous state, to say the least. And humanity? Destroying what is beautiful for profit; stirring up hatred and enmity for political and power gains; arousing suspicions, stoking fears, fomenting divisions. And why? I find that words from a song from the musical Oliver spring to mind: “Where is love? Does it fall from clouds above? Is it underneath the willow tree that I’ve been dreaming of?” Must we travel far and wide to find it? (2) Are we who seek it merely dreamers, dreaming dreams? Idealists? Naïve?
“Pour out, I will pour out my spirit, earth shall be much more than it seems. Both sons and daughters shall prophesy, young and old shall dream dreams.” And following those words, I think my answer to my questions is NO! No, we are not dreamers, idealists, naïve. And why? Because of Pentecost. We have moved from the Annunciation, through the Incarnation, Christ living amongst us, beside us, sharing our lives, feeling everything we feel, and more – feeling the rejection of the world, the pain of torture and cruel, deliberate, humiliating, relentless death. Christ has known and felt everything the world is still throwing at his people, that humanity is still doing to humanity. Christ knows. God knows! Christ has been there, in the middle of suffering. And has come out the other end. And has sent the Spirit for us: to remind us of all he did and teach us more. And so, “Both sons and daughters shall prophesy, young and old shall dream dreams.” Not just shall, but should, must, dream dreams – dreams of the future, the future revealed in Christ, in the resurrection, Ascension and in the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. Because in Christ those dreams, those prophecies are realised.
“Pour out, I will pour out my spirit, earth shall be much more than it seems. Both sons and daughters shall prophesy, young and old shall dream dreams.” Yes, we need to find our voice: the voices inspired by the Spirit to speak peace and hope and love into the world, into those situations of hate and greed and division. That peace given to us by Christ, his peace left with us. The peace which gives us the hope that “earth shall be much more than it seems”, that we can be much more than we seem. Because the Spirit gives us power, strength and voices to become more, to be more Christ, to live more Christ in the world, to open the world to the promise of God’s love. To speak the truth that the world tries to reject, as it tried to reject the Word of Truth and Light of God, who came to redeem, reunite, restore humanity and reconcile us to each other once more, and reconcile us to God forever. The one whose Spirit broke down the division of different voices and, on that first Pentecost, allowed each to hear in their own tongues the words of love, peace and reconciliation through Christ’s love for us, Christ who leaves his peace with us, if we keep his commandments, if we love him as he loved us, and if we love each other, the earth and all there is therein, with his same intensity and hopefulness.
“Pour out, I will pour out my spirit, earth shall be much more than it seems. Both sons and daughters shall prophesy, young and old shall dream dreams.” We are the sons and daughters, the young and old, called to prophesy and dream dreams. We are the ones to be inspired by the Spirit of truth and speak peace, hope and love into the darkness of the world. To stand up and say: earth can be much more than it seems: we can be much more than we seem – all of us, all of humanity, if we stop, look around us and see the world through God’s eyes, see each other through God’s eyes, seeing the worth, the value, the loveliness and hopefulness and potential in everyone. The loveliness, hopefulness and potential that when united can work miracles in the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The miracle of bringing hope, love and unity and breaking down the barriers of hate, fear and pride that divide and oppress. The miracle of reconciliation that can happen if we allow the Spirit to be poured into us, allow the wind and flame to inspire us, guide us and enlighten us, fire us up to speak the Peace that Christ leaves with us, which calms troubled hearts, takes all fear away and brings the unity that Pentecost gave us a taste of. ”How is it that we hear, each of us, in our own language?” Because the language spoken was the language of love and the language of love is universal. God’s love is universal, and eternal. We are those who are led by the Spirit, and so are, as Paul writes, God’s children, as all people are God’s children. We can all cry: Abba, Father, through the life and love of the Son and the power of the Spirit.
This Pentecost, let us feel inspired, filled with the loving gift of the Spirit to stand up and speak the universal language of love, to speak truth to the world, to show in our lives, our actions, in our communities that the world and its people can be more than it seems. Earth and all people can be more because Christ tells us: “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” God has poured out the Spirit on us, on the earth; earth can be more than it seems; sons, daughters, us, all people can prophesy and dream dreams and the world can be transformed through the hope-filled power of Pentecost; the power of the Spirit of love working within us in the name of the Father and the Son.
I close with the poem: “Pentecost,” by Malcolm Guite and hope that we truly feel the power of Pentecost in our selves, in our souls, today:
Today we feel the wind beneath our wings
Today the hidden fountain flows and plays
Today the church draws breath at last and sings
As every flame becomes a Tongue of praise.
This is the feast of fire, air, and water
Poured out and breathed and kindled into earth.
The earth herself awakens to her maker
And is translated out of death to birth.
The right words come today in their right order
And every word spells freedom and release
Today the gospel crosses every border
All tongues are loosened by the Prince of Peace
Today the lost are found in His translation.
Whose mother tongue is Love in every nation. (3)
Amen.
(1) “Pour out, I will pour” in John L Bell (2002) Come all you people, WGRG Iona Community, Wild Goose Publications Glasgow, p.61.
(2) “Where is love?” from Lionel Bart, Oliver.
(3) “Pentecost” by Malcolm Guite (2012), Sounding the Seasons, Norwich: Canterbury Press, p47 (https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/tag/pentecost/).