Phonetic Phenomenon

Hearing what the Spirit says to us and to others

05/20/2018

Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?

Have you heard about this phonetic phenomenon that is sweeping the nation? People listen to a pre-recorded word and they surprisingly hear two different words. Some hear the word “Yanni” while others hear “Laurel.” I heard about this while watching the NBA playoffs last week and the commentators were arguing over what they each heard: some heard “Yanni” and others “Laurel.” Charles Barkeley said he heard the word “Doughnut.” When I first heard the recording myself, it was clear the word was “Laurel.” I actually found myself getting annoyed with the people who insisted it had to be “Yanni.” They just needed to listen more carefully! I thought.

I decided to watch a Youtube explanation about this social experiment. The expositor explained that when someone speaks their voice carries a certain pitch, some pitches are high and other pitches are low. Women generally have a higher pitch and men lower pitch. But as we grow older our ears become attuned to lower pitches and it’s harder to hear the higher ones. Younger people heard the word “Yanni” while older folks (like me!) heard “Laurel.” The same video also shared a poll conducted on Twitter that revealed that 47% of the people hear “Yanni” and 53% heard “Laurel.” See, I was right! This social experiment fascinated me because people can hear the same facts (words in this case) in different ways depending on the kinds of persons they are, and how angry and argumentative we can grow over them, quite unnecessarily.

But a very similar phonetic phenomenon has happened before, two thousand years ago, on the Sunday of Pentecost. Fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and ten days after his ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit descends like tongues of fire to touch the tongues of the apostles to speak as the Spirit prompts them. We read in Acts 2: “Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” And what did they say? Some said, “Yanni” and others said, “Laurel.” Not really. Acts 2 continues, “the Jews in that area each heard them speaking his own language.” In other words, even though we don’t know exactly what the apostles said, it is obvious it was like today’s phonetic phenomenon: the same sound was heard by different people as different words. When the Spirit speaks through the apostles his pitch is accommodated to the dialect or language of each person. This is how the faith is transmitted down the ages: it depends more on the speech of the Spirit than the words of men.

May I suggest three simple but also spiritual applications of seeing Pentecost as a phonetic phenomenon: how the Spirit speaks his Truth through the words of men and women? First of all, it may help build bridges over the chasms that divide our nation. Each evening on the news, we Americans in heated arguments over gun violence and gun control, the topic of immigration and border security, even abortion and women’s rights. Some people are so entrenched in their opinions they cannot tolerate hearing the other side’s argument. They shout: “It’s clearly Laurel!” while the other side retorts: “It’s obviously Yanni!” I personally don’t think anyone is crazy for holding a particular opinion, but may have a sliver of the truth of the Spirit. Etienne Gilson, the brilliant French philosopher concluded that Christianity and Greek philosophy owed a debt of thanks to each other, even though they were sometimes seen as enemies. He noted insightfully: “If it is due to Scripture that there is a philosophy that is Christian, it is due to the Greek tradition that Christianity possesses a philosophy” (The Spirit of Mediaeval Philosophy, 207). We have something to learn from everyone, even from those with whom we disagree, because the Spirit speaks through the words of men and women.

Secondly, be a little more patient and tolerant with how different cultures experience their faith and express it. It used to be prevalent to have “ethic parishes” – the Italian parish and the German parish and the Polish parish. Some believe Masses should be more bilingual while others believe all Masses should be in Latin again. I think they should all be in Hindi. We accepted the maxim that “good fences make good neighbors.” You stay on your spiritual side, and I’ll stay on mine. But remember the phonetic phenomenon of Pentecost. To some the Spirit says “Buenos dias!” to others “Bon jour!” to others he says “Laurel,” and to some “Yanni.” We each hear the Spirit through our own ears and our own hearts and through our own culture.

And thirdly, realize how you have evolved in your own faith journey with Jesus and how hopefully learned to hear the Holy Spirit better over the years, your ears have grown. Do you still feel you have the same faith you did ten years ago, or twenty years ago? I sure hope not! St. Paul reflected on his own experience in this regard 1 Corinthians 13:11, saying: “When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.” A child hears “Yanni” (the higher pitch) and a man hears “Laurel” (the lower pitch). As make progress in the spiritual life, as we mature as Christians, we hear more of what the Spirit says. We can only hear what we are spiritual mature enough to hear.

My friends, at this Mass, or even in this homily, everyone will hear the same number of words and the same syllables. But hearing the pitch of these words, and the truth they contain, will depend on you: your age, your faith, your virtue, and your humility. Just like at that first Pentecost, so too today, the Spirit speaks through the words of men and women, but “each one hears in his own language.” We all hear what we are able to hear, and that’s why some will only hear “Doughnut.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!