Scripture tells us that the Jews from the Dispersion who were in Jerusalem that first Christian Pentecost were “bewildered,” “amazed,” “astonished,” “perplexed,” by the Galilean apostles’ ability to speak in the crowd’s various native languages. How could they do that? That is often the question we ask when we are stunned by the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives, in the world.

The Holy Spirit, the Advocate Jesus promised his disciples at their last supper together, may come upon us quietly, gently, subtly (I Kgs.19:12) or, as in today’s lesson, with the rush of a mighty wind manifesting in tongues of fire. Perhaps, like others before us, we may come to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit in what seems like a burning bush (Ex.3:2) or a valley of dry bones (Ezek.37:1), in the words of a prophet, in the healing of some disease, in the sustaining comfort we experience in time of loss, in the reception of various gifts of the Spirit (Is.11:2), in the opening of doors before us when the way seems blocked, in the compassion of a friend, or in any number of other ways. In one awe-filled way or another, the Holy Spirit touches our hearts when, where, or how we need it. Often it is in retrospect that we come to recognize the divine action, and we wonder: “What does this mean?”

Recently, a friend related a story of having breakfast with a co-worker who was in a quandary over dealing with her teen-aged son. My friend shared what she had said to the woman, and I was amazed at the wisdom of her statement and told her so. She responded, “It didn’t come from me.” She knew she had been inspired with the words her friend needed to hear that morning. When we have ears to hear and eyes to see, when we accept and follow through on the nudges we experience, God can use us as an incarnation of Divine Love here and now. What does this mean? It means God loves us, each and all, and sends the Holy Spirit to remind us, lest we forget.