Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
There is nothing better than hearing a message of love spoken in your own native language. This native language is often called the “heart” language by those who translate the Scriptures around the world. It is one thing to have the Scriptures in a language you understand to one degree or another, but it is another thing entirely to have the Scriptures in your “heart” language.
Poetry can be a very powerful vehicle for messages of love. When I was dating my wife I would write poetry to her. It was terrible poetry! I am embarrassed that she saved it all these years. If I had know she was going to save it, I would have worked harder at polishing it.
But somehow, even through my feeble attempts at expressing my love for her through the means of poetry, she began to return expressions of love. Now over forty years later, our expressions of love still happen. She wishes I wrote more poetry. I have come to realize how bad I am at it, so I don’t embarrass myself.
But I can’t imagine trying to write love poetry to someone whose “heart” language was not English. Not only would I have to try to express what I am feeling in another language, but I would have to learn the poetry conventions of that other language and culture. They don’t write poetry as we do.
And I can only imagine receiving poetry written by a non-native English speaker. There would probably be some awkwardness to the expressions, some missing elements, a few word meanings that were slightly off, metaphors missed, halting rhythm.
It is this element of language that makes what happened on the day of Pentecost so powerful. Jews and Greeks had gathered in Jerusalem for a large religious festival. Fifty days previously, the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection had taken place. And His followers were waiting for something, someone He had promised.
The shape of the fulfillment of the promise was not like anything they could have imagined. Nothing like this had ever happened in history. And it hasn’t happened since either. They hear the sound of rushing wind, just the sound, no wind. Then they see something that looks like the flames of a candle land on top of each of their heads.
Now this is pretty strange, the sound of wind, but no wind. The flames over the heads, but nothing is burning, nothing is consumed. And the sound is so loud that people from across the city come to investigate what is happening. No need for social media or video blogs. They hear the sound.
And when they arrive they hear the flame-head people speaking many languages, language they have never learned. And they are speaking these language fluently, so fluently that each language can be heard by the native speakers despite the cacophony of voices. And they hear a common message across all the languages. It is as if they all speak in one voice, inspired by one speaker.
So what do they hear being proclaimed? They hear the wonders of God! I wonder if what those outside the Church hear our churches proclaiming? Do they hear the wonders of God? Or do they hear some other message?
If we were this clear in our message, perhaps we too would have the same results. Declaring the wonders of God in a language that speaks clearly to the heart of the people is what we are called to do. It is also what we are called to be. Does our life clearly proclaim the wonders of God? Can they see God at work in us?
The Arnold Journey 