We are delighted to share this contribution for the feast of Pentecost from The Revd Guy Diakese, Anglican Chaplain in Liège (pictured below)

Christians worldwide celebrate Pentecost as the feast of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Jesus and the entire world (see Acts 2). At Pentecost, the apostles spoke in tongues and everyone could hear them in their own language, a sign that Christ offered his message of salvation for all people without distinction of any kind.

Before the day of Pentecost, the disciples of Christ were living in fear of the Jewish authorities. But on Pentecost Day, they received the fullness of Christ’s Spirit breaking out of confinement by becoming and forming the Missionary Church of Christ. The coming of the Holy Spirit alludes to the fulfillment of the words of Jesus to his disciples at the Ascension: “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the fulfillment of the Father’s promise … you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the earth” (see Acts 1: 4-5,8).

We have been in lockdown for more than a year, due to the covid-19 restrictions. Words cannot adequately articulate how hard it must have been on us individually but also as a church. Today, we are fortunate that, with the help of vaccines, we can begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Let us celebrate this Pentecost as an opportunity for a new beginning with God. As we are slowly breaking out of confinement, a lot of challenges await us in the aftermath of this pandemic: lots of changes are happening on the spiritual, political, economic, social, and global scale. Amidst all these changes, ask yourself: what kind of a Christian is God calling you to be? Or what kind of a church is God calling us to be?  In my opinion, fear and despair can be the worst confinement which we need to break out of, even as we feel empowered anew to go forth and boldly live the Christian message as Christ’s disciples.

May Christ’s Spirit renew us as we celebrate this Pentecost.

Happy Pentecost

Guy Diakese Matumona

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You can find out more about the Anglican Church in Liège on their website and social media

Story photos: Guy Diakese Matumona and Pixabay