The Colours of Pentecost - Aniko Ujvari

The Colours of PentecostAniko Ujvari

The days of the year are flying on very quickly. We have a saying in my country, “January, February…summer is here”. And I feel it is really so. We just celebrated Christmas, Easter and you see, here is the wonderful celebration of Pentecost. Sometimes I see, generally the people don’t know what this celebration is about. We don’t join it to any symbols like Christmas tree or Easter eggs/bunny. The only thing is that this holiday is full with flowers and in a way it shows the beginning of the summer.

At this time in my heart and mind Pentecost brings colours. And not just because of the flowers as I mentioned. But it is like the colours of the dawn I may observe in the sky – purple, deep red, orange and lively yellow. These are the colours for me, the tongues of fire; very inspiring, full of dynamics. After the many happenings, which were not so understandable, around Jesus Christ, the “frozen” disciples warmed up. All pieces of the puzzle found their place. The Spirit of God unlocked the barrier of the languages, gave courage and strength. The colours of tongues of fire shine through with their purple, red, orange and yellow. A major breakthrough happens. The divinity of Jesus Christ turns to reality. And the Holy Spirit gives strength to the disciples to speak, to testify about it. Their brave speeches reach people, and the “big catch” happens, now they really experience what Jesus told them “you will fish for people” (Luk. 5:10)

Nowadays the presence of the Holy Spirit is sure. The promise of Jesus Christ became real “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go I will send him to you.” (Jn. 16:7)

Sometimes this Spirit looses his colours in us. We spend our time and energy on in vain disputes about the “truth”, while we lose the precious gift, the “time” to represent the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Earth. We miss the opportunity to help people to understand each other, to be set free from the devil, to strengthen the weak, to console those who cry and to reconcile the fighters.

The Holy Spirit fills our heart with love, with goodness; reconciles us with ourselves and with others. He gives new meaning to the words which have lost their values like faithfulness, perseverance, endurance, acceptance and love. Who among us has not the desire to receive all this acceptance and peace in his/her life? If the Holy Spirit gets his place in us we will bear fruits. And the deep red colour of the fire warms up our soul, and its yellow gives us strength to act. When we have dull days and are sinking in their resigned grey the orange colour of the fire will make them alive and shine through the grey days. The Holy Spirit is present in our daily life as a counsellor, as an adviser and comforter. He helps us to live a fulfilling life in its reality as we are encouraged by Paul in Gal. 5:25 “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”.

Let our Pentecostal celebration be filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit to clean our hearts and lives, to strengthen and inspire in this decadent, cynical world, because only with his strength can we represent Him in this world “to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:74b-75)

Aniko Ujvari, EBWU President
May 2016