Pentecost(es) (A) + Breathe God / Respirar Dios + 6.4.17

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M. Campbell-Langdell
All Santos, Oxnard
Pentecost / Pentecostés (A) + 6.4.17
(Hechos 2:1–21  ; Salmo 104:25–35, 37 LOC; 1 Corintios 12:3b–13;  San Juan 20:19–23)

“La gente se reunió al oír aquel ruido, y no sabía qué pensar, porque cada uno oía a los creyentes hablar en su propia lengua. Eran tales su sorpresa y su asombro, que decían: — ¿Acaso no son galileos todos estos que están hablando? ¿Cómo es que los oímos hablar en nuestras propias lenguas?”
“And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?’” (Acts 2:6-8)
It may be possible that airport security lines are some of the most discombobulating spots in the whole entire universe. Here I was, minding my own business, but forgetting I had a belt on, walking through the airport security line in Norway, when I set off the metal detector and a man who looked very much like me started yelling at me in an incomprehensible language. For a moment, I was completely flabbergasted. But then it occurred that the universal language of common sense (i.e., metal belt buckles set off metal detector alarms) dictated that I should remove my belt.
Cuando yo viajaba en Noruega, después de un largo tiempo viajando solo en  países hispanohablantes e inglés-hablantes, me sorprendí cuando un guardia en el aeropuerto me hablaba en un idioma que pareció extraterrestre. Había sonido el detector de metal porque yo olvidé que llevaba puesta un cinturón con partes metálicos. Pero en el momento, solo pudiera pensar, ¿qué me dice este hombre? Y ¿porque está hablando tan raro?
Let me contrast that experience with another I had while living and studying in Chile. First I should tell you that any Chilean will tell you that Chilean men are notoriously incomprehensible. They talk fast, drop letters from their words and slur their words together like drunks in an effort to get the message out as quickly and efficiently as possible. Siempre dicen que los hombres chilenos hablan demasiado rápido y aun para sus paisanas son difíciles de entender. So I was amazed when, returning a library book to the university library, a guard gave me instructions about how to deposit the book, and I actually understood! One part of my brain registered only a blur of speech, and another knew exactly where to deposit my book and avoid the fine. Cuando fui a la universidad para devolver mi libro en la biblioteca, la guardia me dijo como devolver el libro y en cual lugar tan rápido que una parte de mi mente solo escuchó sonidos y otra parte lo entendió. And although tiny in the scheme of things, it truly seemed that the Spirit enabled me to hear. Aunque esto fue una cosa casi inconsecuencia, para mi sentí que el Espíritu me ayudó a entender.
So this is how I imagine these Jews from all over in the reading from Acts. Though a nation in the religious sense, these folks worship the same God but really don’t know how to relate to each other. Esta gente en la lectura de hechos está alabando a Dios pero cada uno en su propio idioma. Aunque son judíos no pueden compartir de Dios uno con el otro muy bien porque cada uno tiene su propio lenguaje. Son una nación de Israel, pero una  nación dividida por idioma. They may be a Jewish people, but language divides them. And here, the Holy Spirit swoops in, as she often does, and she makes it all clear. Con la venida del Espíritu Santo todo lo que no quedo claro ahora hace sentido.
A tongue rested on each – each was given the Spirit – cada uno recibió el Espíritu. This is something those of us at the confirmation this Thursday were reminded of by Bishop Diane when she shared with us that bishops wear miters as signs of the Spirit landing on the apostles’ heads. En la confirmación de Sophia y Theo este jueves pasado, obispa Diane nos contó que los obispos llevan puestos las mitras, o sus sombreros especiales, porque representan las llamas del Espíritu Santo que bajaron sobre los apóstoles.
And with these flames, the people were given the gift of communication. Con estas llamas, vino el don de la comunicación.
Why? Well, to spread the good news, of course! Esto fue para compartir las buenas nuevas.
Now, they were talking and sharing in the Spirit, but what did it look to those outside? It looked like they were drunk! ¡En la emoción de su compartir parecieron borrachos!
Now, they didn’t pluck this concept out of thin air. Back in Joel’s day, false prophets did get drunk to simulate religious experience. Es verdad que en el tiempo del profeta Joel, los profetas falsos si se emborracharon para parecer en el Espíritu.[1]
But these weren’t any drunks. Peter defends them. Pedro los defiende, esto es algo verdadero. This the real thing.
But… What is the real thing? Pero ¿qué es la cosa real?
To hear something real, let us go to the gospel passage and reflect. Reflexionamos en el evangelio.
“Y [Jesús] sopló sobre ellos, y les dijo: —Reciban el Espíritu Santo.” “[Jesus] breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (John 20:22)
Now, this makes me think of something. Esto me hace pensar en algo que dijo teólogo Richard Rohr sobre respiración y el nombre de Dios. Richard Rohr talks about how for devout Jews, the name of God is unspeakable. But he goes farther, to show how the word of God, Yahweh, is actually unpronounceable because it simulates human breath.
He invites us to try it.
Primero, inhala, dejando la boca abierta, tratando de decir “Yah” mientras respirando adentro.
First, inhale, leaving your mouth open, saying the word “Yah.”
(breath)
Then, exhale saying “weh.” The mouth should stay open. Luego, exhala, dejando la boca abierta mientras dice “weh.”
(breath)
El dice:
“You cannot ever say ‘God’ and know what you are talking about, but you can breathe God. In fact, this means the first word you ever ‘spoke’ when you came out of your mother’s body was the sacred Name.”
“Nunca puedes decir “Dios” y saber de qué se habla, pero sí se puede respirar Dios. De hecho, esto significa que la primera palabra que ‘hablaste’ cuando saliste del cuerpo de su mama fue el Nombre sagrado.”[2]
We breathe God. Respiramos Dios.
Jesus breathed on the disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit, and this is why you cannot say Jesus is Lord without the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesús sopló sobre los discípulos y es por esto que nunca podemos decir que Jesús es Señor sin el poder del Espíritu Santo.
Our first and last breaths will be God. Nuestras respiraciones primeras y ultimas serán Dios.
God is powerfully with us and everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. Dios esta aquí, y ¡todos los que invoquen el nombre del Señor, alcanzarán la salvación!
This is good news! Now let us be the church and use the Spirit’s gift of communication to share this good news with all the world!  ¡Que hagamos el trabajo de la iglesia y lo compartamos con todo el mundo!

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