Eastertide
May 9, 2016

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-22

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ –Acts 2:5-12

Several years ago while traveling in Switzerland, the group I was with stayed in Andermatt, a small mountain village. On our arrival I had noticed a very small, inviting chapel nestled into one of the mountains. Since I am a morning person and since I had been starting my mornings with a walk on this trip, I climbed up the incline to that chapel. It was  beautiful yet simple and I spent some time meditating and inhaling the clean mountain air. As I got up to leave stepping out of the little building, I met a local woman, I suspect, coming for her morning prayers also. She did not speak a word of English and I did not know any greeting for her except the German “good day”, which I am sure I butchered enough in my saying that she readily knew it was not my native language. I saw a moment of hesitation in her eyes as to what her appropriate response might be. She spread her arms apart and patted me gently on both of my arms then pointed to the cross on the tiny altar at the front of the chapel. I gave her an affirmative nod and we both went on our ways having communicating volumes in our lack of words.

I do not know what happened on the day of Pentecost but I do know that it was a day that marked love, as demonstrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as a universal language. It is the language in which we are all called to become fluent.

Prayer: Lord, even in those situations when our words fail us, let the light of your love shine through us brightly. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.