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In touch

Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues

Questions of Language

Luke describes the disciples speaking many languages on the day of Pentecost
(Acts 2:1-13).

Context

• The emergence of ChatGPT is causing anxiety, not least among headteachers.
• The Jewish festival of Shavuot begins on the evening of Thursday 25 May. The Christian festival of Pentecost is on Sunday 28 May.

 

Ideas for sermons or interactive talks

Luke, the author of the Gospel and Acts, is a consummate storyteller. His version of the giving of the Holy Spirit uses imagery of wind and fire – elemental forces that easily escape human control. The story also encapsulates the idea that the Holy Spirit enables communication across language and cultural barriers. (John’s version is quite different – see John 20:19-23)

Language does far more than conveying information – it is deeply entangled with identity. The language we speak shapes who we are. People who speak several languages often experience each one as representing a ‘different self’. ChatGPT readily fools us, but it is merely parroting human language – there is no mind, no intention, no emotion behind the words it strings together. As human beings, we use language to express our thoughts and convey our feelings – to reach out and communicate something of our inner self to others. But it is a double-edged sword. Language can also be used destructively, to insult and revile. And language is involved in issues of power. Many Russian-speaking Ukrainians are now shedding ‘the language of the oppressor’, and using Ukrainian as their everyday tongue. The spread of English across the globe is killing off minority languages, eradicating their cultural treasures and knowledge of the natural world. It is significant that in Luke’s story, the Holy Spirit does not facilitate communication in the lingua franca of the day – Greek – but in each person’s mother tongue.

The festival of Shavuot (‘weeks’) was called Pentecost (‘fiftieth’) by Greek-speaking Jews, as it comes fifty days after Passover. It was originally an agricultural festival (designated ‘harvest’ in Exodus 23:16 and ‘first fruits’ in Numbers 28:26), which involved bringing offerings to the Temple. After the Romans had destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, the festival evolved in two different directions. For Jews it became a celebration of the revelation at Sinai: the giving of the Torah (‘law’), and the sealing of the covenant between God and Israel. For Christians, thanks to the episode recorded in Acts, it became associated with the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. From common roots, the Jewish Shavuot and Christian Pentecost took shape in competition with each other, with Christians claiming a ‘new covenant’.

As the imagery of wind and fire indicates, the Holy Spirit disturbs us, takes us out of our comfort zone. It also inspires us to cross barriers, and speak new languages. I have felt led by the Spirit to engage in interfaith dialogue. That has involved taking a hard look at the painful history of the ways in which Christians have talked about Jews, supplying the rhetoric to justify pogroms. Today, Jews and Christians are striving to establish a new more constructive relationship, and to use language which respects the integrity of each faith tradition.

 

Questions for discussion

• How many languages are spoken by members of your congregation? Do you ever use liturgical elements – readings, hymns, prayers … – in a language other than English?
• Have you experimented with ChatGPT? Can you tell that there is no human mind behind the string of words?
• When have you felt led by the Holy Spirit out of your comfort zone?

Ann Conway-Jones is Chair of Birmingham Council of Christians and Jews. She has recently published ‘Matthew’s Gospel and Jewish–Christian Relations’.

 

Check-in

Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people

It is the beginning of half term, the summer holidays are in sight, and why are we excited about those things? Because it is the season for discovery! Some of us may find ourselves travelling abroad, or exploring new places near to where we live. If watching BBC’s Race Across the World has taught us anything, being able to communicate with locals is key to finding your way around and passing on important messages.

Sunday 28 May is Pentecost, which sees us looking at the greatest ‘Race Across the World’ that’s ever existed; the race to spread the good news of Jesus to everyone! This could only be done by the blessing of the Holy Spirit empowering the disciples to communicate in many languages, so no one was left out from being able to hear this important message.

What’s the best way to communicate with local people in your area? Maybe it’s through food; putting on events; or being active on local Facebook groups. Could you use one of these methods to help pass on important messages and take part in enabling the Christian message to race across the world?

Lindsay Wright is a freelance writer and designer from Lancashire,

 

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