I Will Pour Out My Spirit

Before his Ascension, Jesus made a promise to his disciples, which I believe is a promise to us as well. “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for the promise of the Father. This is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (From Acts 1:1-11)

Last Sunday was the Feast of Pentecost, the day we Christians celebrate the fulfillment of that promise. Luke continues the story in the Book of Acts like this:

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (From Acts 2:1-21)

Luke goes on to explain that there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem and that each of them heard in their own language the disciples proclaiming the marvelous acts of God. Many in the crowd were amazed and astonished at what this might mean, but there were others, there always are, who sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’" What a great opening for Peter to proclaim the Gospel and share with them the good news of God’s continuing presence in the world through the Holy Spirit.

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.

Peter explains that God’s spirit is given to all people: old and young, male and female, friend and stranger. And we who receive God’s Holy Spirit will see not only what is, but we will have visions and dreams of what can be when we proclaim the good news of God’s Kingdom and prophesy about the justice and peace that accompanies that Kingdom.

In 2004, Desmond Tutu, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town in South Africa, wrote a book entitled God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for our Time. In this book Bishop Tutu proclaims that “God Believes in us, God loves us as we are, and that God loves our enemies.” When we are filled with the Holy Spirit of which Peter speaks, we receive faith and courage to do God’s will on Earth and we become part of God’s dream. Our part of God’s dream is to “love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength and to love our neighbor as our self.   

God’s Dream is that we love God, love our neighbor and love ourselves.