Pentecost Goes Like This

For lots of enlightened, sensible Christians, Pentecost is like the crazy uncle: he can tell some real barn-burner stories, but you sure as heck want him out of sight anytime company’s over. It’s easy to see why we’ve arrived here, with Acts’ wild images of the holy tempest blowing and the fire dancing on heads, not to mention the zany circus show you land on with late-night televangelists.

However, Pentecost tells us the story of how Jesus’ promise to bring heaven to earth is happening now, right in front of us. The Holy Spirit’s wind arrived “from heaven,” and it blew right past all the inhibitions, all the religious resistance. God decided it was time to send a shockwave of mercy, hope and renewal; and so the Spirit came. And life exploded. Grace erupted. In a matter of hours, those who’d been sworn enemies were locking arms, those who’d been rejected were welcomed like long lost family, those who didn’t have two pennies to their name were all of the sudden eating like kings. When Heaven arrives on earth, it can look lots of different ways, but it always looks at least something like this.

7 Replies to “Pentecost Goes Like This”

  1. Acts is an amazing book–2nd chapter is my fave! I really like the art work…exciting just to look at it! Who is the artist?
    Thx for sharing Winn!

  2. “Pentecost is like your crazy uncle…” Nice. Stealing that.

    He is also the crazy uncle whose presence regularly and dependably embarrasses you, but who surprises you by subsidizing your college education, and leaving you this huge inheritance that sets you up for, like the rest of your life — which just happens to be forever in this case. 😉

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