Rev. Wesley Spears-Newsome
In his commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Willie Jennings says that the entire narrative of the book should disabuse us of what he calls the “nationalist fantasy.” The idea that imperial might, extractive systems, and even national borders are the ultimate source of power is rejected by the Acts. Instead, a “revolution of the intimate” transcends the artificial boundaries, constructs, and borders we’ve imposed upon each other.
Nowhere is this more readily apparent than the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-42). The Spirit does not discriminate based on language, national origin, or status. This expansiveness befuddles the crowd who question what is happening. Such transnational egalitarianism is so unimaginable to them that they assumed the participants must be drunk (2:13). That the Holy Spirit consciously rejects nationalism and fictitious boundaries should give every Christian pause.
The reason that migrants are not treated with dignity all over the world is often because of nation-centered delusion. There are no borders naturally etched into the earth, there are no boundaries between us by our very nature. Instead, as the Gospel of John says, the Spirit is like the wind, which blows where it chooses rendering our own distinctions minor or even facetious (John 3:8).
Jennings’ “revolution of the intimate” is the counterweight to the nationalist delusions that Pentecost defies. We see it in the immediate aftermath of the pneumatic event where wonder overcomes the community and they share possessions, redistribute wealth, and ensure that none of their number go without (Acts 2:43-47). Dignity is then established at the table where everyone eats together “with glad and generous hearts” (2:46, NRSVUE).
The Pentecostal narrative should push us out of opinions, positions, and perspectives that privilege national identity, citizenship status, and something as artificial as documentation. Every human being is within God’s embrace and must be treated as such. Migrants represent the mobile presence of God and the opportunity for those in more static circumstances to revolutionize their community through welcome and hospitality, bringing about the intimate revolution especially in a time of nationalist fantasy.
Rev. Wesley Spears-Newsome (he/they) is a pastor, organizer, and author from North Carolina.