Weekly Devotion

… for the week of June 8, 2025

Let’s Dance!

What on earth actually happened on this day of Pentecost? What was the miracle that revealed the presence of God? What was the Holy Spirit up to?

In the Acts of the Apostles we hear that the disciples spoke in various languages (2:4). Are we hearing about a miracle of the tongue, an ability to speak so that others might understand? The scripture also says each person in the crowd heard the disciples “speaking in the native language of each” (v. 6). Did we just hear that it was in fact a miracle of the ear? Is this story about people being able to comprehend the power of God’s presence?

In a broken world, in a world of “me, me, me first,” our impulse is often to choose one interpretation or the other—and to make sure we end up on the “correct,” winning side of the discussion. But when we return to the death of Jesus on the cross, observed some fifty days ago, we see that he offers us a third and holy option. Rather than taking sides in our walk with Jesus, we align with his heart, capable of embracing all.

To consider that the Pentecost story is a miracle of both the tongue and the ear is to accept a beautiful invitation—an invitation, at the birth of the church, to enter into a sacred dance of both speaking and listening. To consider it a dance would be to acknowledge a natural flow of the Spirit drawing us to not one or the other but to both in loving turn.

In John’s gospel reading for the day, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (14:15). The commandment Jesus speaks of is “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (13:34).

Speak, listen, and love: this is how we dance together.