8 Incredible Poems for Pentecost

Symbolized by a fiery red, Pentecost is the liturgical festival celebrating the presence of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-31. In this passage, tongues of fire appear above the heads of the disciples and they begin to speak in different languages. Peter references the prophecies of Joel and quickly identifies this mysterious moment as an outpouring of God’s Spirit. Many mark this day as the beginning of Christianity.

This is not the disciples’ first introduction the the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit, though it is a relatively unique manifestation. This member of the trinity is present throughout all of scripture. Natural elements, water, wind, and fire, are used to demonstrate God’s presence. Animals, such as a dove, and abstract concepts, like wisdom, are also attributed to the work of the Spirit.

I grew up in a pentecostal tradition that placed a significant emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including prophecy, speaking in tongues, and spontaneous healings. While I’ve come to understand these gifts differently than my church of origin, I credit the experiential emphasis on a personal, loving encounter with the Spirit for informing my initial faith journey. The Spirit continues to be an essential foundation of my personal spirituality and my participation in the community of God. I believe this strikes the heart of the Pentecost story. God seeks out each of us and makes our lives God’s home.

I’m reminded of the poem attributed to St. Teresa of Avila, which says,

“Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which He looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

Though the finer details of that first Pentecost remain unknown, the Spirit is still an active, personal force in the daily substance of our lives. The Spirit teaches, guides, comforts, and nurtures particular gifts. We may not be able to see or touch a physical presence, but we can observe the evidence of a Spirit-led life: love, peace, joy, gentleness, kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. These postures can lead us into justice and liberation work, which are purest expressions of the Gospel of Christ.

To celebrate the continued work of the Spirit, I offer you the following seven poems for Pentecost.

• Antiphon for the Holy Spirit by Hildegard of Bingen
• Holy Spirit of Fire by Hildegard of Bingen
• To Live with the Spirit by Jessica Powers
• A Sonnet for Pentecost by Malcom Guite
• God’s Grandeur by Gerald Manley Hopkins
• Air, fire, water, clay by Christine Woolgar
• Untitled by Theodore Roszak

How have you encountered the Spirit through someone else? How have you embodied the Spirit’s work?