“They were amazed, mouths gaping, and saying, ‘Check it out, aren’t these Galileans who are speaking? How is it we’re hearing the language we grew up with'” (Acts 2.7-8).
Language is what Pentecost is all about. The story of this day is one where the words the disciples spoke were somehow, mysteriously translated in the sacred space between speaker and listener. Everyone present heard the news of Jesus’ life and resurrection in a tongue they knew: Greek, Aramaic, Latin, and more. But the story is about more than just hearing in a language we understand.
Those present remark that what they hear is in the language they’ve always known. One that, to put it simply, sounds like home. These aren’t just sounds with literal meanings, but stories, images, and phrases that conjure the thoughts and feelings of being in a place of intimacy and love.
On Pentecost, we are reminded of the prophecies that the Gospel will spread to the ends of the earth. To do this, it has to be spoken in every imaginable language. But doing so is more than a manner of communication, of what can be done through translation apps and foreign language software. It requires an intimacy those present when the Disciples start to speak convey in their response. It’s how the words and images take us back to the places we’ve known, places where those dearest to us speak in a shared language that comes from a life lived together.
A place we call home.
Living Spirit, let me speak in ways that bring people home.