Charlotte Elia offers a reflection on Acts 2:1-21 for Pentecost.
“And so we need each other. We need each other, we need that diversity of voices, that diversity of perspectives and experiences to keep us from the fruitless pursuits of building towers to heaven instead of the kingdom of God. But it’s more than that. The commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves doesn’t spring from God’s desire that we somehow tolerate each other. Loving our neighbor is what benefits us; it’s what’s good for us. We love God by loving one another and through loving one another we learn more and more about the God who created each and every one of us. That’s why things like music, arts, literature, travel, learning other languages, listening to each other’s stories- that’s why anything that broadens our understanding of the human experience ultimately broadens our understanding of God. It’s also why anything that cuts us off from one another actually cuts us off from the image of God in others, actually limits our understanding of who God is.”