~ Many Gifts, One Spirit ~

[Lani]

Read Acts 2:1-13 http://www.christianityoasis.com/bible/ ... ld_lookup=

"Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:11 (NRSV)


Our first Christmas at Africa University in Zimbabwe, we missed the seasonal changes that herald Christmas back home; even more, we missed our family. It dawned on me that we were not alone in yearning for familiar faces and the warmth of familial love. At least 10 different nations were represented in the university student body that year, and virtually non of the students from other countries could go home for the holidays.

Then the Spirit gave me an idea: Invite all the students staying on campus to our home for Christmas Eve dinner. We invited each to bring a dish from their native land. What a feast, one by one, the students shared a favorite Christmas tradition and taught us, in their various languages, a song that celebrated Jesus' birth. We sand in many tongues, but we were one in the Spirit. That year, we celebrated Pentecost at Christmas.

It must have been similar for those from many nations crowded into Jerusalem at the first Pentecost. The wind of the Spirit whirled around them, filling them with awe as they heard the story of Jesus' life, his crucifixion, and his resurrection. Believers discovered a new family in Christ - and the Spirit still calls each of us to help build that community of love.



Prayer: Spirit of God, fill each of us afresh. In every person we encounter may we find our brother or our sister. Amen

Prayer Focus of Day:Those living far from family

Thought for the Day: Befriend a person from another country

Story shared by: P. Chilcote, (OH)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional 6/12/11