May 12, 2008
Fiery Faith
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor
And suddenly a sound came from
heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they
were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and
resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2: 2-4
This
weekend we celebrated Pentecost, one of the oldest feast days on the Christian
calendar. It traditionally falls on the 50th day of Easter, marking
the close of the season - and talk about ending things with a bang.
The
spectacular scene described here has understandably captured the fascination of
countless artists through the ages. While traveling in Spain, I was
blessed to encounter one such painting by El Greco which quickly became a
favorite of mine. The vibrant piece, stretching from floor to ceiling, portrays
the Apostles and Jesus’ mother Mary with rapturous facial expressions illuminated
by the brilliant flames of God’s Spirit hovering above their heads. The fiery
tongues seem to be the only source of light in the room – anything outside the
reach of the Holy Spirit’s glow quickly fades from dazzling color into shadowy
darkness.
And yet
for all the glory of that moment, the moments leading up to the descent of the
Holy Spirit were, according to Scripture, filled with fear and uncertainty. Even
after all the stunning events they’d witnessed in the days following Jesus’
resurrection, the apostles were hunkered down and hiding in the days following Christ's second goodbye, His ascension. But after a pregnant pause, God came through for this fearful bunch, and
the Church was officially born.
Pentecost
reminds me that even those who witnessed the miracles of Christ firsthand succumbed to uncertainty and fear.
Fickleness, fear, and frailty – they’re all part of the human condition, even among the most faithful.
Pentecost
also reminds me that while God often works in seemingly ordinary ways,
sometimes He bursts through the veil that separates heaven and earth and wows
us beyond our wildest hopes and dreams. He doesn’t wait for us to be perfect or
holy to bless us with His presence, but instead fills our frail selves with His
glory and empowers us to do great things.
Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you remember times in your faith when you were
truly “on fire” for God? When His presence was tangible and your heart was
willing to go wherever He led you? Reflect on those times, and ask God to renew
your fire for Him.
Further Reading
1
Corinthians 12: 4-7
John 20:
19-23
