My sister-in-law recently told me about seeing a large flock of drunken robins. What first caught her eye were a large number of them unsteadily walking around in random directions. Others were perched on limbs leaning at odd angles and having glazed eyes. A few were attempting to fly, but seemed to have problems with their flight controls. The birds appeared confused, and they were chirping a large number of different seemingly random calls. I googled the term “drunken robins”, and learned that while this is fairly rare, it can happen when a flock eats partially fermented berries which ferment in their gullets.

I learned this can also happen to cedar waxwings, who view berries like we view filet mignon. A number of years ago I was lucky enough to see a flock of beautiful waxwings denude a 30 foot tall holly tree of berries in less than a half hour; my flock seemed to leave sober, however.

Cedar Waxwing

This conversation with my sister-in-law came to mind during our reading from Acts 2:1-21 on Pentecost Sunday. Here are the happenings on that day long ago that the reading described. First a mighty wind came up, and then they saw tongues of fire that divided so that a tongue rested on each of them. They were then filled with the Holy Spirit and they all began speaking, but in a multitude of languages, which they all understood. Needless to say, they were amazed and astonished and asked, “What does this mean?” Some observers made fun of them and said that they were filled – with too much wine.

This point in the reading was when I remembered my sister-in-laws experience; I thought that the observers could have said that they were acting like drunken robins. In response Peter quickly spoke up and said that this wasn’t the case; after all, it was only nine o’clock in the morning. They weren’t filled with wine; they were filled with the Spirit. He noted that the Spirit was the gift promised in the book of Joel. Peter ended his explanation with the promise that the listeners would also receive the Holy Spirit if they were to repent and believe.

We, the congregation, read the reading by acting out assigned parts, and it was a moving way to remember this gift of the Holy Spirit at the original Pentecost. This gift is more evidence of the unconditional love that God has for YOU and me.

Originally posted by Jim in June 2018