Meditation 293
Acts 2: 1-21
This passage in the book of Acts gives an account of the day that the gift of the Spirit of God was given in great power and drama. The writer seems to straining to find the right words to describe what happened, so he uses similes to paint word pictures. There was a sound like the rush of a violent wind, there were divided tongues as of fire. The descent of the Spirt of God was like nothing else that had been seen before. The Spirit swept in and touched the disciples who were gathered together, and the way the presence of the Spirit was manifest was by enabling the disciples to speak in other languages. On the day the disciples were able to speak the gospel in a way that allowed all to understand what was being said.
We believe that the gift of the Spirit of God is still given in the day in which we live. The Spirit does not always manifest in the ability to speak other languages, still we have the gift of the Spirit. The psalm for this week, Psalm 104 “sings of God’s Spirit breathing life upon all creatures, not human beings alone. God’s Spirit renews the face of the ground.” (Seasons of the Spirit 2011). Scripture has much to say about the working of the Spirit of God, because in Greek as in Hebrew, the words “spirit,” “breath,” and “wind” are expressed by the same word. One reference Jesus makes to the gift of the spirit is the promise of “living water” (John 7:37–39). There could be no more hopeful promise to the people living in the arid Near East where water was a powerful image for life.
The disciples would have been amazed at what was happening when they received the Spirit, and yet they seemed to have an appreciation for what was going on. Peter stands up and explains to the crowd that what is happening in front of them is a fulfillment of the words of the prophet Joel, when God said “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” (Acts 2: 17b) “The diverse gifts of God’s Spirit make each person and each part of creation distinctive. From this diversity, the Spirit weaves communities and creation in a common life enriched by God’s presence.” (Seasons of the Spirit 2011)
Since we believe that we are gifted with and by the Spirit of God in a variety of ways, how do you see or feel the gift of the Spirit in your life? How do you experience the abundance and exuberance of God’s Spirit? One way I have seen the Spirit manifest has been in the quiet word of wisdom given by a woman that I respect. In the 1970’s I met Joyce Davis for the first time because she was one of the missionaries who was on furlough visiting the Presbyterian Church Camps in the summer. When I made introductions with all of the tact of an 18-year-old, she did not correct me in front of others, but spoke to me quietly at a later time. I experienced wisdom and love in action. Sometimes the Spirit is like the rush of violent wind, sometimes it is a still small voice. Listen for the sound of the Spirit in your life and pray for the wisdom and courage to follow it.