Languages of Love
Mon Dieu. Lieber Gott. Drahý Bože. Aγαπητέ Θεέ. Dear God. I heard French, German, Slovak, Greek, and English prayers echo through the central Athens church as, in unison, we prayed in our native languages for people in our home countries to hear of God’s love. The beauty of the gathering was magnified when we realized our gathering was happening on Pentecost.
In the Old Testament, Pentecost was a harvest festival celebrated fifty days after the Passover festival (Leviticus 23:15-21). On the first Pentecost following Jesus’ death and resurrection, believers gathered in Jerusalem. Suddenly a sound like “violent wind” came, and “what seemed to be tongues of fire” appeared as they were filled with the Spirit and “began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:2-4). Visitors from other nations heard “the wonders of God” in their own language (v. 11). Then, after Peter “addressed the crowd” (v. 14), many believed the message that Jesus was crucified and raised to life to offer forgiveness (vv. 22-41).
The multilingual prayers of the ministry leaders assembled in Athens reminded me that Peter’s message heard at Pentecost continues to be shared around the world, and people are still responding in faith.
Let’s pray for the Spirit to empower us like the early believers in Jesus at Pentecost to tell of God’s love. And let’s pray for the message to be heard in every language spoken around the world.
By Lisa M. Samra - Bread Ministries
Acts 2:1-12
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
