Not Wine but Wonder

Have you ever had a wild idea? One of those ideas that’s completely out of your comfort zone, but something seems to be pushing you towards it? When I think of this feeling, this movement towards something new and different, I think of the Holy Spirit. Each year when we honor Pentecost we honor the wild, unruly, intuitive whisper that brings us out of our comfort zones and away from actions of self-preservation towards community building that we might not otherwise have ever dreamed about.

In Acts 2:1-21, it is finally time. The disciples, who’ve been hiding in fear are beckoned out into the world. They are gifted with the ability to speak many languages, converse across cultural differences, and dream new dreams. Of course, what response do they get from those who observe? They must be drunk! Whatever is happening is odd and unusual. It is too peculiar to be anything but wine.

I wonder if you, like I, can think of moments when we were faced with something so beyond what we could imagine that it just felt like it couldn’t be right. Or maybe, you’ve found yourself on the other end, certain that what you are doing could change things for the better, with everyone looking at you like you’ve grown a second head.

This week as we honor Pentecost, I encourage us to pay attention. To look and listen around us for signs of the strange and peculiar. It might just be the Holy Spirit inviting us into her sacred dance. It might just be an invitation to overcome our own fears and grow in compassion for ourselves and others. Who knows what we might experience if we’re open to the call of the Spirit!