Day of Pentecost (C), June 5, 2022—Genesis 11:1–9 and Acts 2:1–21

 Genesis 11:1–9

Helen de Sybel: "The tower of Babel (Scenes from the old testament)" (2016)http://www.thebibleandthearts.com/vwItem/254

 

Someday

 

Sometimes this Babel text is seen

As just the opposite of when

At Pentecost the tongues of each

Were understood as their own speech.

 

And yet, perhaps, the thought’s implied

That worse than anything, was pride;

Why did they need to “make a name?”

To whom would they, that name, proclaim?

 

Thus pride is empty, meaningless,

And only can produce distress;

And so, the LORD, for peoples’ sake,

Spread them, so from their pride they’d wake.

 

Ironic’lly, their “scatt’ring” fear

Meant neighbors were no longer near;

But someday, scatterings will cease

And pride all gone, we’ll be at peace.

 

Scott L. Barton

 

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”

 

The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

 

+ + +

 

Acts 2:1–21

 

4th Century B.C.E. Thracian urn on display

Iskra Historical Museum, Kazanlak, Bulgaria

                                         

 

A Brief History of Bulgaria

                  or

Ode On A Thracian Urn

 

The Thracians with their works of gold,

And then Bulgarians of old,

The Byzantines of Empire East,

Then Bulgars once again increased,

Then people under Turkish "yoke"

(A word old hatred still evokes)

Revival that was long delayed,

Turks overthrown with Russian aid,

A culture trying to transpose

Until the Communists imposed

A system that would steal the hearts

Of each one's worth and diff'ring arts.

 

Oh, can a country grow in pride

When hist'ry o'er the years decries

First one group, then again, another,

Believing only blood makes brothers?

Oh, can God's Spirit work its power,

Not by religion, but by showers

Of truth and hope and understanding?

And can we all, our love expanding,

Perceive with empathy each child

Of God, who on the world still smiles?

Oh, let us put our racial pride

And fear, and wrongs, and guilt aside

And work like heav'n to make a world

Where flags of love are e'er unfurled.

 

Scott L. Barton

 

In St. Mark's Cathedral, Korčula, Croatia

 

Intimations in Croatia

 

I understood nothing,

In St. Mark's Cathedral,

Korčula, Croatia.

Some two hundred had come,

Despite buckets of rain,

Five in the afternoon.

I'd call their hymns praise songs,

Repeated, known by heart,

Yet beautifully faithful.

Their songs of mystery—

And love—and sacrifice—

And, I think, gratitude,

Almost moved me to tears,

Everything understood,

Though no words known to me.

How could this be, given

My inability

To say anything back

About that which filled them,

Other than, there I knew

Intimations of the Spirit

Poured out upon all flesh?

 

Scott L. Barton

 

Pentecost, Pope Francis, and the Lightness of Being

 

It used to be that when the Pope

Would speak, he didn't speak to me;

He's always been the voice of judgment,

And too high authority;

Plus, as a pastor, I had seen

The damage done unto his flock,

When people to our doors appeared,

Cast from their church right down the block;

But this Pope speaks a different line,

The Spirit has him in its grasp;

The lightness of his being shows

A man (like God?) in on the laugh

Of Christ, who doesn't spare the truth,

Yet always sees the world with grace.

All understand! And at his faith

And hope and love I am amazed.

 

Scott L. Barton

 

 

 

Oh, What Would They Do?

 

A sound like the rush of a violent wind

Filled the whole house with all of them there;

These tongues, or this ruach, this fire, appeared,

Like an answer to all of their prayers;

Oh, what would they do, with their Lord up and gone,

Out of sight, vanished, gone, disappeared?

Thus, fire from heaven, like Sinai encore,

All their doubts of the kingdom then cleared:

The news of salvation is not some obscure

Or exclusive thing meant for a few;

All manner of folk, of all nations on earth

Now are given the love that makes new.

 

Scott L. Barton

 

 

 

How Odd

 

How odd/ of God/ to choose/ the Jews

I used to like to say;

It was a favorite axiom

I might say some Lord's Day

To help the congregation see

These texts are not obsessed

With moral goodness all around,

But rather, how God blessed

A motley crew of liars, cheats,

And folk like you and me!

Which is, of course, good news today,

For, though we don't agree

On points of doctrine, song or style,

The Spirit gladly speaks

So people hear within their hearts

(Despite our own techniques)

That blessings far and wide abound;

Such things still come from God!

So go proclaim the love you have,

Not like a drunk—but odd!

 

Scott L.  Barton

 

 

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

 

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

 

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’