Finding our breath on the Day of Pentecost
The following artile was published in the print edition of the Times Colonist on Saturday, May 22, 2021
Finding our breath on the Day of Pentecost
A day of the Spirit/breath/wind… when a pandemic, lasting 14 months and counting takes our breath away and depletes our spirits, even as we hope for winds of change as more and more people receive vaccines. What could it mean to celebrate Spirit/breath/wind among and within us in 2021?
Sunday, May 23, 2021 is the Festival Day of Pentecost in much of western Christianity. (June 20, in eastern Christianity) It is one of three great festivals in the Christian year, along with Christmas and Holy Week/Easter. But this Day of the Spirit is typically a lesser-known feast than the other two.
Pentecost celebrates the presence of God’s Holy Spirit. The central story in the Book of Acts tells of the followers of Jesus gathered in a house after the risen Christ departed from them. A rush of violent wind fills the house and tongues of fire dance on their heads. And they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Each of them begins to speak in another language, so that diverse peoples from many different places hear and understand in their own language. (Acts 2:1-21)
It is like a great reversal of an ancient story of people building a city and tower to the heavens. And God sees their human arrogance and causes everyone to begin speaking a different language, and they are scattered across the earth, unable to understand one another. And the city and tower are called, Babel. (Genesis 11:1-9)
And there are other Pentecost/Holy Spirit stories, including Jesus meeting his fearful followers behind locked doors and breathing on them the Holy Spirit of peace. This in contrast to the necessary restrictions of Covid-19, not being indoors, having to wear masks, and social distancing so as not to breathe the same air. Interesting, the root meaning of the word “conspiracy” is “breathing the same air.” And in both original languages of the Bible, Hebrew and Greek, the words for Spirit/breath/wind are the same.
What might celebrating a time of the Spirit/breath/wind mean in a continuing pandemic in 2021? Could it be a time to celebrate and treasure the Spirit/breath in every person and winds of change that are blowing around and within us? That our common truth is, in all our diversity, we all breathe the same air. And therefore, our common concern and commitment is that everyone can breathe, in all that means. That the cry “I can’t breathe” of George Floyd, and the oppression of white supremacy and systemic racism on the necks of Black, Indigenous, and every person of colour be forever removed and not spoken again. That physical and mental healthcare be equally and safely accessible to all people, the wellbeing of those struggling with addictions, those who are differently able, elders and children, queer folks and those without basic adequate income, food security and shelter, be forever reversed, so everyone can breathe freely and fully. And that a planet and climate in crisis, affecting the lands and waters and very air we breathe, in common spirit with all creatures and all creation, be protected and healed and valued as our only home together.
The pandemic has further exposed much of this inequity and stirred up good and necessary winds of change in us, in our communities and world. That may just be the work of the Spirit. And that is worth celebrating with our every breath. Let it be so. In all our relations.
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Lutheran Church of the Cross
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