Text for the Month
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.'
Acts 2:17
May brings together two key moments of the Christian faith: Ascension and Pentecost. Far from distant or abstract events, they speak directly into how we understand power, presence, and responsibility in today’s world.
Ascension is not about Jesus leaving the world behind. It is about Christ taking his place as Lord over all. This is a deeply political and theological claim: no system, no government, no structure of injustice has ultimate authority. The risen and crucified Christ reigns - and his reign is marked not by domination, but by justice, humility, and self-giving love.
Pentecost makes this reign visible in a new way. God’s Spirit is poured out on all people, breaking barriers of language, culture, and status. A new community begins to form - one shaped by shared dignity, mutual care, and courageous witness. The Spirit does not erase differences, but creates unity that resists exclusion and division.
In a world marked by inequality, nationalism, and growing polarization, these truths matter. If Christ reigns, unjust systems are not absolute. If the Spirit is given to all, then every person has dignity and a voice that must be heard.
To confess Christ as Lord is therefore not a private belief - it is a challenge to every form of injustice. To live by the Spirit is to take part in God’s work of renewal: standing with the marginalised, speaking truth where there is silence, and building communities of inclusion and care.
For us as the German YMCA community, this means making faith visible in action - creating spaces of belonging, advocating for fairness, and living out hope in practical ways.
Ascension reminds us: Christ reigns.
Pentecost assures us: Christ is present.
And together, they call us to live with courage, shaped by justice, and empowered by hope.
Sabrina Gröschel, Chaplain of the German YMCA in London