MIXED EMOTIONS

Reflections on the Pentecost Sunday: Acts 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7,12-13, John 14:15-16,23b-26

At Pentecost, the crowd is gripped by a whirlwind of emotions. In the first reading, Luke employs three distinct Greek words to capture them:

1. Synechythē “confused/ confounded/ bewildered” in v.6 conveys a sense of disorientation as if their worldview has been challenged.

2. existanto – “amazed” in v. 7 and 12 suggests perplexity, a stunned inability to reconcile what they witnessed with their expectations.

3. ethaumazon – “astonished/ marvelled” in v.7 evokes wonder, a marvelling so profound that it left them speechless.

The crowd gathered in Jerusalem on the day was a mosaic of pilgrims from across the ancient world, “devout Jews from every nation under heaven”, drawn to the city of Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot/ Feast of Weeks), an agricultural feast of thanksgiving for the harvest tied to the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. What must have been a yearly routine observance swiftly spiralled into something extraordinary for this mixed crowd. They are left confused, amazed, and astonished. Why did the Pentecost event provoke such intense and varied reactions? The nuanced expressions that Luke uses to describe the crowd’s astonishment reveal how profoundly unprecedented and transformative this moment was. Pentecost was a radically new event, a divine encounter so disruptive and awe-inspiring that it defied comprehension.

The roaring wind astounds:

The wind symbolises the breath of the divine life. Biblically, wind (Greek pneuma; Hebrew ruach) is often linked to the Spirit’s activity. Just as God’s breath (wind) animated Adam at creation (Genesis 2:7), the “rushing mighty wind” at Pentecost signifies the Spirit breathing new life into the Church. The wind recalls the Spirit “hovering over the waters” in Genesis 1:2. Pentecost marks a new creation—the birth of the Church, empowered to carry God’s redemptive mission to all nations. The wind also points to the universality of the Pentecost event. Wind is untameable and boundless, reflecting the Spirit’s freedom to transcend human barriers (language, culture, status) and unify diverse people under Christ (Acts 2:5-11). At Pentecost, people from 17 different nationalities or origins gather around the house where the apostles were confined, a house that now seems to have no walls.

The tongues of fire puzzle:

Fire signifies purification, God’s immediate presence, and empowerment. The tongues of fire remind us of the burning bush (Exodus 3:2), the pillar of fire guiding Israel (Exodus 13:21), or the refining fire of His holiness (Isaiah 6:6-7). At Pentecost, the “tongues of fire” affirm that God’s glory now dwells within His people, not just in a temple. Fire also refines and purifies (Malachi 3:2-3). The disciples, once fearful and flawed, are sanctified by the Spirit’s fire and equipped to proclaim the Gospel. At Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit brings a multitude of people to the apostles, so that they could leave their walls to become witnesses! The fire rests on each believer (Acts 2:3), symbolising that all are called and commissioned. This reverses Babel’s division (Genesis 11)—instead of scattering people in confusion, the Spirit unites them in purpose, igniting a holy passion to spread God’s truth.

The language miracle confounds:

They must have equally been bewildered by a group of Galileans, simple, uneducated fishermen, who began speaking fluently in languages they had never learned, declaring the wonders of God in the native tongues of the listeners. How could these provincial men suddenly articulate praises in Parthian, Egyptian, or Mesopotamian dialects? The miracle was not merely auditory—it was visceral, personal. Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” It was a cry of curiosity, fear, and awe—a recognition that the boundaries of human limitation had been shattered.

Pentecost’s multilingual miracle was not merely a display of supernatural ability but a theological declaration: the Holy Spirit empowers the Church to break barriers, proclaim the Gospel’s message to all nations, and restore the unity lost at Babel. Pentecost challenges us to embrace plurality and unity in a fragmented world. As Paul reminds us in the second reading, the same spirit inspires a variety of gifts, forms of service, and workings that together contribute to the building up of the one body of Christ.

The combination of wind and fire mirrors another pivotal theophany: God’s revelation at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18-19). But here, the message shifts:

1. From Law to Grace: At Sinai, fire and smoke emphasised God’s holiness and the Law’s demands. At Pentecost, the same symbols announce the Spirit’s grace, writing God’s law on human hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).

2. From a Nation to All Nations: The fire and wind signal that God’s covenant is now global. The Church is born not for a single people but as a “kingdom of priests” (1 Peter 2:9) for the world.

The Spirit’s descent was not a spectacle to observe but a revolution to witness. The Pentecost was the realisation of Jesus’ promise of an advocate who would teach us everything, remind us of all that Jesus had told us, and always accompany us (Gospel). The crowd’s tangled emotions—confusion, astonishment, trembling wonder—mirrored the seismic shift occurring in that moment: God was doing something entirely new, and no one could look away. Today, as we celebrate Pentecost, let us ask ourselves: Does the Holy Spirit still stir such holy astonishment in us? Or have we grown accustomed to the “ordinary,” forgetting the revolutionary power of God’s presence among us?