Holy Spirit poll results

"Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them." Acts 2:3-4

For those of us who have been Christians for a while, or were brought up in the church and therefore thoroughly indoctrinated, it is difficult to divorce ourselves from this knowledge and look at Pentecost through 21st century, unbelieving eyes. I wonder what people today, who know nothing about Christianity, would expect the results of the Holy Spirit's arrival to look like.

I suspect that if there were an online poll the list of options would be as long as your arm but most responses would be a mirror of our own individual values not those that match God's character.

So, from this chapter of Acts there are two things that I see which, I think, reflect God's priorities. Because, if there is this massive event where God's Spirit suddenly fills a room and the people in it, you would expect that what follows would reflect who God is.

Firstly, as soon as the Holy Spirit came upon the people in the room their first instinct was not to talk amongst themselves about what had happened but was actually to tell others about God. And, in fact, the giving of different languages would be a totally useless skill to have within their group. The first thing that God did was give something that was only of value if used for others outside of the fellowship. The languages were given so that the message could be conveyed to all people, not just a select few.

And secondly, people started selling their possessions, pooling the resources and helping the poor.

This combination of making God known through the spiritual redemption and the practical, hands on outworking of God's values, to me at least, shows the priorities of God and gives me a framework for my life.

I guess the challenge is to try and order my life in a way that does justice to that mission.