Put the subtitles on
Neil MacLennan
June 08, 2025
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Acts 2: 1-11 (NIVUK)
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs – we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!’
There are many things in my day-to-day life that heighten my sense of disconnect between my generation and that of my teenage children.
The latest instance was while watching TV together one evening (that in itself a rarity!) the oldest Mac child asked for the subtitles to be put on. [Reader, we live in a quiet cul-de-sac and neither of our children have hearing difficulties.] So, of course I asked, “why?”
“Just because” came the not-unexpected reply.
It turns out “it’s a thing” and, I suspect, helps to isolate the dialogue in the active, turbulent and overwhelming world of young people today.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, tune us out of the noise and interference of our daily lives and dial us in to your single signal of holiness, truth and peace.
Switch on the silent subtitles of our environment which amplify for us the essences of this full life you grant us.
As the voices of the world clamour around us, endow us with a gift of discernment that will clear the air for us to hear your still, small, voice of calm.
Amen
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