Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21
John 14:8-17, (25-27)
I like the word - “conspiracy.”
It sounds like someone is up to some sort of mischief. And when there’s mischief - I usually want to be a part of it. (It’s more fun that way.)
When Christmas comes around - or birthday time - Heather (my wife) conspires to get me a suitable present… she and some of my friends have whispered conversations.
My ears prick up - I ask trick questions in order to try and find out what the conspiracy is. I am an insatiably curious person… one of those who inspect wrapped presents closely - trying desperately hard to find out what they are.
* * *
Conspiracy is a good word because it literally means: “To breathe together.” Con - meaning with and spiritus meaning breath.
It speaks of a unity - sometimes secret, of people who plot to do something together.
As a church I like to think that when we meet together - people with a similar mind; people intent on following Jesus we do a bit of conspiring ourselves.
* * *
In the book of Genes - the book of beginnings, the story tellers of the Old Testament interrupt a long and complicated list of people who bore children to people and lived in certain places and ended up speaking different languages with a story.
A story that tells of a conspiracy that people had; a conspiracy that they had in secret; a conspiracy which they tried to hide from God.
They planned to build a great big tower - so high that it reached the heavens… so wonderful that by doing so the people would make a name for themselves - they would be famous - highly honoured. Very wealthy. And perhaps able to consider themselves as a little better than God.
The problem with people - when they start showing off their power, and trying to prove just how wonderful they are… They start thinking that they can do without God.
When we think we can survive without God we make ourselves out to be our own little Gods… And we don’t have to imagine what we could do if we thought so much of ourselves:
We could launch missiles at other people without feeling bad - because we’re gods - more important than them.
We could pay people criminally low wages and get away with it - because we’re better than them.
In traffic we wouldn’t have to wait our turn - because everybody else must stop for us… we’re little gods.
Its funny how familiar that all sounds; When we get powerful it goes straight to our heads.
* * *
And Yahweh said: “Look they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them…”
So God confuses their languages and scatters them abroad.
* * *
In spite of that confusion, that intervention which the Bible speaks of - just think how powerful we have become: So powerful that we affect whole eco-systems, so powerful that countries can kill thousands of people at the touch of a button, so powerful that people hold the keys to life and death in their hands.
It’s quite frightening.
In those days God confused their languages and scattered them about - today we have far more power, we build blocks of flats far higher than the tower the Babylonians were building- but God does not scatter us or confuse our languages… if anything we’re getting better at communicating.
Better at conspiring to do things that are either awfully good. Or awfully bad. The more powerful we are, the more bad we can do - or conversely - the more good we can do.
* * *
In the gospel Jesus speaks about a different kind of conspiracy.
Whereas the ambitious tower builders of the Old Testament tried to do something magnificent on their own - the power which Jesus has to do magnificent things comes from his relationship with the Father.
They literally breathe together. The Father whispers into Jesus’ ears what he is to do, and Jesus listen’s and obeys. Jesus prays and they discuss, strategise, organise and conspire to make God the Father’s Kingdom dream a reality in the world.
Not only does Jesus tell us that he and the Father work together to do the magnificent things that God has called him to do; but he tells the disciples that they will be able to do greater works in partnership with God.
They will also become co-conspirators with God in bringing God’s kingdom dream into reality.
* * *
And so we travel to a house where disciples are gathered together in the book of Acts. Conspiring together I suppose, about how they will continue the ministry which Jesus began.
And suddenly, as the text says - “there was a sound like the rush of a violent wind and it filled the whole house in which the disciples were sitting…”
The very breath of God entered that place - and the disciples literally became co-conspirators with God, breathing together as God empowered them to do what Jesus had begun… together the disciples breathed in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
It reminds me of that Passage in Genesis chapter 2 where the writer speaks of God breathing life into the lungs of Adam - the beginning. The passage also strongly echoes Genesis 11 - the story of the scattering of the nations; but this time - in reverse.
In the story of the
In the
In the Pentecost story people conspire with God.
In the
In the Pentecost story people are brought together.
The
The Pentecost event marks the beginning of a new phase in God’s dream for people; now God, in the person of the Holy Spirit is able to work with people as he did with Jesus to bring the Kingdom.
God unites all sorts of people - by giving them special understanding and gifting through the Holy Spirit - into one body which will be the church. A truly diverse bunch - united by the conspiracy to continue the ministry of Jesus on earth.
* * *
I want to ask you…
What kind of conspiring do you do when you get the chance?
We humans like to speculate, we like to conspire when it comes to a good return on an investment - ways to make money.
We may conspire with each other about what car to buy - or how the Springbok rugby team might be able to win a match.
Perhaps we conspire (unwittingly) to bring others down when we gossip and whisper in each others ears.
For a change I invite us to conspire with Jesus. Conspire with the Holy Spirit of God that breathes within you; conspire to bring the Kingdom. Instead of complaining about the things that upset you - conspire to make a difference.
Then I think - like the disciples were surprised at Pentecost, you might be surprised at how powerfully the Holy Spirit will move into your lives and bring the dreams that you have with God - your conspirations into reality.
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