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I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me.14 The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. – Psalm 118:13-14
On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit fell, Peter stood, the message was proclaimed, and the beginnings of what we now know as the church began. So many mark the day of Pentecost as the birthday of the church, though our church has changed over the millennia. Sometimes I wonder if we would be recognized by our first century counterparts who witnessed, first hand to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. I wonder if we could be seen today by those who gathered the people, proclaimed to all the nations, and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.
We may look far different in the ways that we worship, in the importance we give to different aspects of theology and thought, however there is one thing that should make us most recognizable – our love for one another.
Sometimes we do recognize love for one another, other times we seem to fall short. When we look around and see prejudice, hate, and violence, I sometimes wonder if we are a people worth salvation. It is in those times, and times as we may be reading about in the media now, that I feel pushed back, as the psalmist remarks. Times like these is when the church should speak up. If we really believe in the message of the gospel to love one another, to care for one another. If we really believe that Jesus paid the price, and in the salvation meant for all, then truly it should be for all. Justice, for all humanity, peace for all humanity, love towards all humanity. God is our help and our strength, and we need to see such salvation come upon this nation and this world.
Today, as we celebrate the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit on Pentecost, let us pray to have a boldness of Spirit to stand for Lord’s justice and righteousness. Let us seek to live into the peace of the Lord, and let us speak up, to share love for all, for as the song I learned as a little child says: “red, and yellow, black, and white / they are precious in His sight / Jesus loves the little children of the world.” Let us see those children, love those children, and be the children who share the message of hope and salvation for the glory of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Grace & Peace,
Sam