Pentecost

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. 

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.” (Acts 2:1-11)

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica,  the Tower of Babel, in biblical literature, was a structure built in the land of Shinar (Babylonia) sometime after the Deluge (flood). The story of its construction (Genesis 11:1–9) appears to be an attempt to explain the existence of diverse human languages. 

According to Genesis, the Babylonians wanted to make a name for themselves by building a mighty city and a tower “with its top in the heavens.” The city was never completed, and the people were dispersed over the face of the earth.

The myth may have been inspired by the Babylonian tower temple north of the Marduk temple, which in Babylonian was called Bab-ilu (“Gate of God”), Hebrew form Babel, or Bavel. The similarity in pronunciation of Babel and balal (“to confuse”) led to the play on words in Genesis 11:9: “Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth.”

Today at Pentecost we read about everyone from every nation being able to understand each other.  No longer did the Lord confuse the language of all the earth.  If only this was true today!  In fact, many of us speaking the same language (English) no longer understand or even tolerate each other.  There is confusion breeding misunderstanding, conflict, and even hatred. Heaven forbid (perish the thought) someone speaking another language, such as Spanish or Arabic, (or looking different) be treated with respect and civil behavior.  Where is compassion?

Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish.  Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless.  Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human. (McNeill, Morrison, and Nouwen, Compassion)

Pentecost reminds us to be human – to be fully immersed. The wind and fire of the Holy Spirit urge us to speak another's "tongue" by being compassionate.

Deacon David Pierce