And as the time of the fifty days neared its fulfilment, they were waiting with shared devotion for the beginning of the Pentecost festival. Then suddenly a sound came from the spiritual heights like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled the whole house in which they were gathered. And to their seeing there appeared tongues of fire, like flames which divided until they came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled by the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues; each uttered what the Spirit gave him to say.
Acts 2:1–61
So writes Luke in the Acts of the Apostles. Three things are spoken of: the disciples are gathered in a house and form a community; a flame of the Spirit alights upon each one and, thereby, each finds their own inspiration; and, ultimately, they all begin to speak in their own language—each of them finds their own innate language.
These are the three steps to a Pentecostal community. We come together, not to focus on a truth, but rather to create the energy for each and every person to experience his or her share of the truth. From personal receiving, there then comes the individual ability to give, because now everyone is able to find their own language, their speech, their tongue.
What would our world be like if all those who are silenced and outraged were able to raise their own, their very unique, innate voice, and if humanity became a community, so that all the shame and guilt and shyness of each individual were dissolved, and all 8,090,455,000 people of today were able to find their speech? It is a Pentecostal question.
Translation Joshua Kelberman
Photo Dadalan Real on Unsplash.
