Day of Pentecost (Year 4, NL)

Do antisemitic appeals to the Bible always constitute an abuse of scripture? Would that it were so simple.

The Spirit affirms our differences, speaking in ways that each of us can understand—yet also drawing us together.

Divisions mark our society—and our churches. What could possibly bring us together?

Most social problems are rooted in the failure of the strong to be gentle with others.

What does true joy require of us?

How can we overcome our anxiety? And should we even try?

“According to Islam, Jesus always speaks the truth. The question is how we understand it.”

John 14:15–21

The main purpose of prayer is to enjoy God.

Those who heard the disciples preach on Pentecost comprehended the message in their own language. But that was only the beginning.

In Acts comes Luke’s imaginative way to build upon ancient stories. The tongues of fire are no longer seen from afar on top of God’s mountain. And the multiplicity of languages becomes God’s vehicle for bringing salvation to the entire world.

Pentecost offers a vision for Europe: not one megastate or one system for everything, but a model of diversity as peace.

It’s common to confuse ministry leaders with Jesus. We can see ourselves in Judas’s question to Jesus, “How is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” Why do we have to carry the message?

Learning a language requires us to focus our attention on something outside ourselves. It's a lot like learning to pray.

The tension between the joy of the first three readings and the judgment of the Baptizer’s proclamation is theologically instructive. It presses us to hold the two together.

California is in a severe drought. Normally it rains in the time from mid-October to March, but for the past few years it has been bone dry. Some say we may only have a year of water left. We are thirsty.