The Creativity of Pentecost

[The Creative Call – XII]

Christians just celebrated Pentecost, which commemorates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples that were all gathered together. Why were they gathered? Because they were all Jews, and the Jews, at the time of Pentecost, celebrate Shavuot, which is the Festival of Weeks.

Quick history lesson: Shavuot is one of three pilgrimage festival, whereby all Jews used to travel to Jerusalem. It's the celebration of the receiving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai. The Hebrews were liberated from Egyptian slavery in the Exodus account (celebrated at Passover), and when they were wandering in the desert, God gave them basic moral precepts to guide the formation of their community (celebrated at Shavuot). Also, Shavuot has agricultural significance: it is an annual celebration of the beginning of the wheat harvest. It’s a time of thanksgiving for the gifts of abundance that come from the land. Shavuot is fundamentally a celebration of community formation—the guidelines to live as the people of God and the nourishment to live abundantly and flourish.

Christians and Jews know something that we can all learn from: this time of year is a reminder that the Creator doesn’t hoard but gives, doesn’t withhold but pours out in excess.

Creativity, in the spirit of the Source of Creativity, always gives generously.
Creativity can’t hoard or be selfish. If so, it’s deficient. (Perhaps it’s not creativity.)
Creativity has within it an impulse to pour out.
Creativity is inherently giving.

Create. And give generously.