Pentecost Sunday
Rev Indrea Alexander
Acts 2:1-21; 1 Cor 12:3b-13; John 7:37-39
As a child I worried that sparks from the open fire would escape the fireguard and set the living room alight. They didn’t. As an adult I have appreciated homely flames safely contained behind metal and glass in a woodburner. And throughout my life I have enjoyed feeding back yard incinerators and relaxing at an occasional bonfire.
However, the fatal Loafers Lodge fire in Wellington 12 days ago has been a grim reminder of the danger of uncontrolled fire. I first heard news of the fire on the radio, and soon after I got a message telling me that I knew one of the 90 survivors. Since then I have seen a little about the five who didn’t survive the fire, which is now being treated as arson.
Liam James Hockings, 50, had a background in journalism and political science. His sister is former TVNZ journalist Lucy Hockings, now working for the BBC.
Peter Glenn O’Sullivan, 64—his family have asked for privacy.
Kenneth Barnard, 67, was described as an adored and kindly uncle.
Michael Wahrlich, 67, was known by many in Central Wellington as Mike the Juggler, and on his coffin were tennis balls, his most common juggling item.
Melvin Joseph Parun, 68, was formerly a lawyer in Wellington and Australia, and coached tennis in Germany. His brother was NZs 1970s world top 20 tennis player Onny Parun.
Their deaths have caused grief and anger, and have spurred heated discussion about fire safety requirements and the standard and availability of cheap accommodation.
As we mark Pentecost today, we may perhaps think a little differently about the account in Acts of rushing wind and tongues of fire. I have tended to think of them as wonderfully exhilarating, but for the crowd that first Christian Pentecost, the sights and sounds could have struck them with fear for their lives. Wind and fire can be signs of imminent disaster.
Pentecost imagery also refers to rivers of living water, and we well know from recent experience that rivers can not only bring life, but destruction.
Maybe it is fitting to think of the frightening power of wind and fire and rivers as we think of Pentecost, because it may help us not to under-estimate the power of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Maybe we can be helped to discover a new depth of awe and respect for God.
The Holy Spirit is the powerhouse for our Christian lives. One author commented, “Pentecost ends the Easter season, reminding us that we don’t live the resurrection in our own strength, but have the Holy Spirit’s power among us as a community called church.” Are we hooking into this powerhouse? Or do we risk letting our batteries run down?
Jesus promised his disciples that his departure would not leave them orphaned and bereft, and that the Holy Spirit would come and be with them for ever.
Brace yourselves, because life with the Holy Spirit can be a challenging ride. The gospel of Luke says that when the Holy Spirit rested on Jesus he declared, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, release to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and proclaim the year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19) That’s a big ask, and it is the ministry we have been entrusted with by Jesus.
The Holy Spirit can give us a sublime, powerful, personal experience of the presence of God, and that is truly wonderful. But the Holy Spirit also seeks to pour “rivers of living water” through us to bring transformation in the world around us – life-changing love, transformative justice, and enduring hope. That is the role of all Christians, not just some “elite” among us. What injustice is God alerting you to? What is God calling you to address? And how?
Who is needing to experience hope, and how is God calling you to respond?
Are there unlovely or unloveable people in your circle who God is calling you to love better. And what may that look like?
If we allow the Holy Spirit to shape our lives, it will be challenging, but beautiful fruit will be produced - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22,23 &-25.) Some of those spiritual fruit enhance our personal life - such as inner joy, and a sense of being “at peace”, but most of the Spirit’s fruit are really only evident and expressed when we are relating to others, such as love, patience, kindness, generosity and gentleness.
These are all part of the distinctive quality that should be present in the relationships Christians have with each other and with others. Jesus told his disciples, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). In the early Church, Tertullian wrote that pagans were impressed by Christians’ and exclaimed, “See how they love one another!”
Jesus said “love your neighbour” and it’s not just a nice theory—he meant it. It’s about loving and caring about the actual warts-and-all people who are in our family, neighbourhood and world. Mother Teresa apparently said the best way to promote world peace was to love your family. She also said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.” An American writer picked up on this idea and said, “A lifetime of little acts of love becomes shot through with the life of God and the people you touch will have a much easier time believing that God will wipe away every tear if they’ve felt God’s love through you.” (Meg Hunter-Kilmer)
In every situation, Christians need to be at the forefront of the movement of love and justice, and we don’t have to do it in our own strength, because we are promised the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit of God, blow afresh through our hearts and homes;
ignite your powerful, refining fire in every part of our lives;
and pour your living water into us
with such abundance it overflows into the world,
so all may declare the great things you have done. Amen.