Violent winds, fiery images, foreign languages, and the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is a mysterious story. However, it reminds me of when I was in Israel. I was visiting a church, and inside were tourists from all over the world. Suddenly some of them began singing “Amazing Grace.” It wasn’t in a language I understood, but it was the familiar tune that I recognized. I knew instantly what they were singing. The tune grew louder as more people joined in. Every person was singing in his and her native tongue. Soon the space was filled with dozens of languages, each person singing “Amazing Grace.”

What struck me most is that we could understand each other. We could each hear the stranger, the foreign tongue, singing about God. In that sacred space was a group of strangers who were lifting up a variety of voices, worshiping God.

Have you experienced a connection with someone who was very different from you? Did you sense the Holy Spirit in that connection?

By Katie Cashwell from D365