Pentecost: Speaking the language of love
Rev’d Rob Anning writes: Pondering on Pentecost, which we celebrate at the end of May, I was reminded of a week in Paris that Pat and I enjoyed a few years ago. We visited the Louvre, and spent a day looking at the wonderful collection of art contained in a magnificent building. On another day we took the train to the outskirts of the city and wandered around Versailles, the buildings and the gardens all so bound up in the history of France.
Our hotel was situated close to Notre Dame cathedral and each time we heard the bells, were reminded of the famous novel by Victor Hugo, written in 1831, which was inspired by the cathedral: The Hunchback of Notre Dame. When it came to Sunday, we chose to worship there.
The 10am service was Gregorian Mass. The liturgy was entirely in Latin, the sermon in French, and just one line of the prayers of intercession in English. The notice sheet contained the readings for the day, the Gospel, the Old Testament reading and the Epistle, in various languages, and so although we couldn’t understand much of what was said, we did have our own thoughts about the Biblical texts.
The cathedral was full, perhaps 700 or more people from so many different countries, all worshipping together, many struggling as we were, to follow the service, but all worshipping the same God.
We all spoke and thought in different languages yet we were all trying to convey to God our feelings of love for Him and express our personal needs to Him. And equally, everyone was receiving something of God’s love in return. All this was carried out in the faith and belief that God could understand us all and we could understand Him.
It reminded me of Pentecost when all those who were gathered in Jerusalem, heard and understood God’s message in their own language.
God’s language is the language of love.