BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - During this Whit weekend, there will be feting and Green Valley-ing and many other types of celebrating as the opportunity is seized to make full use of the extended holiday period.
But to Christians, it is a very holy time; it is Pentecost – the time when the disciples received the Holy Spirit and the ability to ‘speak in tongues’.
It is summarised like this in the Bible:
(Acts 2:1-4).When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Up to today, two thousand years later, there is still great confusion about what ‘speaking in tongues’ really means or how it should be interpreted. Even the original onlookers ‘looked at the disciples funny’, as we would say, and asked, “Are they drunk?”
Some agnostics state that there were different nationalities present, so all they heard was different languages.
“Not so,” say the Christians as different explanations emerge from various branches of Christianity.
“It is the God’s language,” says one... “The language of heaven,” says another, “the language of angels,” a third group will say. Some say that the disciples were not preaching but “declaring the wonders of the Lord” and that once the Holy Spirit is received one will talk in a divine language, which is not intended for speech between man and man, but between man and God.
Speaking in tongues also creates a dilemma for some Christians. “Are we, Christians who don’t speak in tongues, missing something or are we not good enough Christians for God to give us tongues to use.”
Jesus says that those who believe in Him will "speak in new tongues" (Mark 16:17). It is not clear whether this means “speaking in a new godly and kindly fashion” or speaking with tongues brought about by ‘religious ecstasy’.
One pastor, who leads a Church abroad and who speaks in tongues, reveals that it ‘edifies’ him and gives him a “spiritual charge”.
This weekend will see many experiencing ‘spiritual charges’ – they will stem from the ‘descent of the holy spirit’ and ‘imbibing of spirits’ at the local bars. As our spirit levels rise, may we all find peace and love for our fellowmen! Happy Whitsuntide!!
