Pentecost

I love Pentecost! It fills me with such hope and joy. As a former Episcopalian we used to celebrate Pentecost by wearing red and handing out fire ball candies to symbolize the "tongues of fire" seen in the upper room. We made light of it and I am now ashamed. Pentecost is the time after Christ rose from the dead. He told his disciples He wouldn't leave them alone, He would send the Comforter-The Holy Spirit to guide them. I imagine being there and first experiencing this man whom I love and worship (Jesus) being beaten, tortured and crucified. The hopelessness I would have felt would have been awful. Then seeing Him alive after He had been buried, then knowing He would be leaving me again. What a rollercoaster for the apostles it must have been. Their task was to go out into the world and preach the good news and spread the Gospel. But how would they have the energy and enthusiasm when their "leader" was gone. Thus God sent His Holy Spirit to them. They were all together in one room and the Holy Spirit descended in the visible form of "tongues of fire" above their heads. All started speaking in their native languages but all was understood. Foreigners were able to understand the language of others as if they were hearing it in their own tongue. How awesome this event must have been! Their trepidation and unease must have been replaced by joy and hope and enthusiasm. After Pascha (Easter) I often feel let down, sort of left on my own to work out my salvation. But then I remember that Pentecost is coming and I am again filled with hope. Hope in the sense that I know I'm not alone, God hasn't abandoned me, He hasn't left me to fend for myself here on Earth. He has sent His Holy Spirit to walk the journey with me.
So here we are in the midst of saying, "Christ is Risen!" and replying "Truly He has Risen!" but that isn't the end of the story, for man. For man continues to walk, fast, pray and hope. He has sent His Holy Spirit and Pentecost is the celebration of that event. I won't be wearing red or eating fireballs (Orthodoxy uses green, not red as the protestant church uses)I won't be treating the feast lightly as I did before, I will anticipate it with excitement, joy and reverence.