18/05/2013

Good morning, 

It’s the eve of Pentecost or Whitsun – the day before one of the most important festivals of the Christian Year; a celebration sometimes described as the Church’s birthday. It recalls an extraordinary moment when, after the death and resurrection of Christ, Jesus’ friends were empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue his work and they received a miraculous gift of speaking and understanding many languages. Through this experience they found the means to tell others about their faith and moved from uncertainty to finding confidence.

Being enabled to tell your story and being heard by others can be an empowering experience. I’ve recently been involved in a project to get young people to record their life-stories and aspirations

It’s been an amazing privilege. Initially some children have said “There’s nothing special about my life” but with just a little encouragement the same youngsters have gone on to tell how they were picked to play football or cricket for North Wales, or how someone in their family recently recovered from a serious illness. Lots of them have complicated home lives and some of them have profoundly moving or difficult issues to deal with, that most of the time they don’t get any opportunity to share.

It’s wonderful to see how the simple act of being heard can make a difference to the way people feel about themselves and their lives.

In the rush and busyness of our modern world we need opportunities to communicate our hopes and concerns. And on the brink of a festival that celebrates the inspiration of a community of faith it’s perhaps a good time to consider how we encourage and inspire one another.

Story-telling God, bless us with courage to share our worries and aspirations and help us listen to others, that together we might learn new things and live more creative lives. Amen.