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Seven weeks after Passover and the exodus from Egypt, the twelve tribes came to Mount Sinai and prepared to respond to the divine call to enter the bilateral Covenant. In this way they became a holy nation (GOY) (Exodus 19:6), receiving the commandments and destined to progress toward their own land wherein they would be free to serve the living God.
The annual eight-day festival brought Jews and converts to Judaism to Jerusalem during the time that Judea was ruled by the Roman procurator. The proclamation of the Book of Ruth challenged the listeners to find room for the stranger in their midst. The Acts of the Apostles (2:1-41) offers a description of the Christian community’s message to the world represented by the participants in this feast of unity. This editorial of the NJ Jewish News draws attention to the reverberations of this theme for the Jewish people of our time: https://njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com/the-unity-of-shavuot/.
Jewish and Christian calendars coincide this year, so both communities draw attention to the Torah and its Decalogue, the Ten Words that provide the principles for life in community. For Christians this is “the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:2) challenging us to foster unity in our response to the divine will. May both communities foster the insights into God’s gift of peace for all creation, calling for our obedience!