“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.” (Acts 2: 1-6)
The action of the Holy Spirit in this world, by His “grace” (i.e., divine energies), is “life-creating,” because it is “unifying.” When we open up to Him, to what He wants to say to us and do with us, the crippling fragmentation both within each of us and among all of us is overcome. We begin truly to “live,” when we surrender to Him the “other” energies or spirits that confuse our sense of purpose, like despondency, self-centered fears, and resentments, and join the creative flow of energies that comes from the Oneness of our Triune God.
Today, as we Orthodox Christians celebrate Pentecost, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit, reveals Himself to us, “that all may be one” (Jn 17: 21), as God is One, in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let me let God sweep me up by the “wind” of His unifying grace, into communion with Him and others, as He meant me to be. “O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere and fillest all things; Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life – come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One!”
