Readings: Acts 2: 1-21 and John 14: 8-17
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.
A mother mouse was walking across a field and she had behind her all her baby mice. Everything was going well until a large cat came in the other direction. In order to protect her little ones the mother mouse got up on her back legs, looked at the cat in the eye and said `bow wow woof, woof.` the cat ran off. The mother mouse turned to the babies and said, `Now you know the value of a second language!`

What second language do you speak? Can you understand all that the person next to you says? Can you understand the practices of each of our churches or does it scare you off. I hope that this morning we can discover something of the language of Unity.

As we celebrate Pentecost which also marks the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity we come from our respective traditions as witnesses to Jesus. I come here being reminded of the hope that we may be one. I come eager to better understand the ways and spiritual practices of my brothers and sisters from traditions other than my own and in the scriptures we catch a glimpse of God’s vision of unity.

In the first century Pentecost is one of the three pilgrimage festivals. It falls 50 days (seven weeks) after Passover, as its Greek name, Pentecoste (50th), indicates. It is also called the Feast of Weeks, an occasion to celebrate the gathering in of the harvest (Exod 3:14-17; Lev 23:15-22). It also became a time to celebrate the coming of the divine Law on Sinai. Legend has it that on that occasion a flame came down from heaven and divided into 70 tongues of fire, one for each nation of the world. All could understand, but only one nation promised to keep the Law, Israel.

Keeping this in mind we are told that on the day of Pentecost the Spirit came in a dynamic way as with the sound of a rushing wind that filled the house where they were sitting. But there was more divided tongues, as of fire appeared among them and a tongue rested upon each of them. All were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages.

What strikes me about these first couple of chapters of Acts of the Apostles is how when the power of the spirit comes upon the disciples they are to be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The good news of Jesus is meant for the entire world. In a way as if to emphasis this even more we heard that the Spirit comes when people from far and wide are gathered for the feast of weeks. The Spirit comes in a dramatic way and not just to a few chosen ones but to the world as indicated by the presence of the Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Lybia belonging to Cyrene, visitors from Rome, Cretans and Arabs. For these gathered they heard in their own language about God’s deeds of power then asked `what does it mean?`

In my mind this was the first gathering of the United Nations. Any who have seen the movie the Interpreter will recall how a plot is being hatched to assassinate a president of an African nation and it is to happen as he addresses the UN. The place and the time are symbolic of doing it in front of the world. In a way that is how I see our passage from Acts 2 the coming of the Spirit is to the world and is witnessed by the world, people from all corners of it. God is making a statement in front of representatives from all corners of the world. God’s Spirit is for all people and for all times. Luke identifies people of his day as well as people from times long gone.
Let’s discover something of the language of Unity.

The Language of Unity is acting together.
During the last 100 years Christians around the world have been active witnesses in their local communities and venturing further afield even to the ends of the earth. Here in Australia the churches have discovered a vibrant witness by acting together. We have acted together concerning refugees advocating for their basic human rights. The recent visit to Christmas Island by Archbishop Roger and Alistair Macrae President of the Uniting Church is also an expressing of this.
A few years ago the churches acted together over the Government’s work choice policy. Ecumenically around this country the churches work together to address issues of homelessness, poverty, indigenous issues and injustice.

The language of unity is discovered in talking together.
Australian churches have been in dialogue both formally and informally around what it means to be one in Jesus. Our churches have talked together met together, and grown in understanding of each other. This week one of the NCCA Executive said to me “The Great benefit of dialogue is it helps us understand the other church better.” Whilst working through the doctrine of Justification with the Catholics I have come to see that we both have deep understanding and much more in common than I had previously realized.”

The language of Unity is learning from the other.
The language of unity is being expressed in a new way identified as receptive ecumenism. The basic approach is to ask the question; `what is it that I can learn from the other tradition?`

During nearly 20 years of ecumenical commitment I have learnt much from other Christian Traditions, I have grown to appreciate the ways of the Eastern Church the Orthodox churches present in Australia. I am growing in understanding how the Orthodox Icons are windows in to the scriptures. The Pentecost icon brings our Acts text alive showing the Apostles sitting, as on Mount Sion, representing the first century church community, the beginning of the Christian Church. They form a semicircle to express the unity of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. Above them is a depiction of the Holy Spirit coming upon the church and above each disciple is a small tongue of fire. The icon is not a depiction of the historical events of Pentecost, but it signifies that this is a great event for all time.

The language of Unity is standing in solidarity together.
In January this year the Coptic Christians around Australia held peace marches in many of our capital cities to speak out about the persecution of Christians in Egypt. As they did many of the other Australian churches joined in solidarity with them. There are wonderful images of clergy from our churches and Coptic Priests walking side by side through our city streets.

The language of Unity is covenanting together.
In 2004 the member churches of the National Council of churches in Australia entered a covenanting relationship which has several dimensions. The first dimension that all churches committed themselves to was to pray with each other and to pray for one another. This week churches all around the country are praying together.

Growing from the churches covenanting together nationally has led to many local churches covenanting together. In NSW and Queensland there are Tri diocesan covenant in each instance between one Anglican and two Catholic dioceses. They have agreed to things like sharing clergy days, their bishops working together and also worshipping on occasions together.

We have the language of unity expressed in many different ways in our churches because of the power of the Holy Spirit that came upon the church at Pentecost and continues to come today equipping us for this age to show the God’s deeds and unity to the world. Like Peter who witnessed in the public square we are to do likewise using the language of unity to show hope to the world.

Blessed are You, O Christ our God, who made fisherman all-wise, by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them, drawing all the world into Your net. O Loving One, glory be to You.


Revd Tara Curlewis is the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia, and this address was given at an ecumenical Pentecost Sunday service at the Anglican Church of St Paul, Brompton Road. Wembley Downs WA with the joint leadership of Ven Terry McAuliffe, Revd Dennis Ryle of the WD Church of Christ and Revd Neville Watson of the WD Uniting Church.