Be amazed and perplexed

This past Sunday was Pentecost, traditionally considered the birthday of the Christian church. For those who have heard the story countless times, it’s the day the Bible states the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and they were given the ability to declare the “good news” to those gathered in the area in any language. Some might argue that this story reverses the story of the Tower of Babel, where people became confused because everyone suddenly had their own language and no one understood each other. Others might argue that this was the day that set Christians apart from other religions. But there was something more wondrous at work and a much larger plan. This was the moment that all became welcome to be a part of community because divisions fell. Language was no longer a barrier to telling a story. Everyone, no matter ethnicity, gender, orientation, age, political affiliation, etc. had something in common. And it was in finding that common ground that they became unified.

How did we become so divided now?

How did we lose the awe of that story?

Is it not amazing that ALL were welcome because they heard a wonderful story in their own language?

Shouldn’t ALL be welcome still?

Those gathered in that one place on that Pentecost morning didn’t expect that they would be sharing that message before it was even nine in the morning. But they encountered the spirit that shook them up, experiencing something that left them all amazed and perplexed. They became changed by the moment, the magic, the story and had to share that magic, that moment and that story with everyone who had gathered.

Do we still have moments such as those?

When was the last time you were awestruck, amazed or perplexed by something that left you realizing the story was about to unfold? When was the last time you found the magic in a moment, be it a violent rushing wind or a gentle breeze, a thunderclap or a quiet whisper?

These moments show up unexpectedly, disrupting our lives and shaking things up. They become the plot twists and the new chapters of the stories we are writing of our lives. They become defining moments, even as they may seem mundane. And it is in sharing these stories and exclaiming the moments and the magic that we become better able to find the common ground instead of divisions.

So whether it is the Northern Lights dazzling the night sky in a solar storm, a awesome view on a journey that takes your breath away, that quiet tugging at your heart in the silence of a meditation, or a huge event that shakes and rattles you to the core, be amazed and perplexed at the wonders that come.

Be that place where stories matter.

Find the awe in the mundane moments.

Be wonderstruck at the chapters that unfold.

**Little note here – I was inspired to write this, as I often am, by the sermon of the pastor of my tiny church in my little swath of the Midwest. But Rev. Joseph Yoo also inspired some of the ideas in this post with this:

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A post shared by Joseph Yoo (@joseph.yoo)

Stay magical, friends.

Keep writing.

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