Pentecost 2025: Sharing the Holy Spirit online

Naomi Blowers reflects on how the Holy Spirit can fill our online presence.

‘All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them’ (Acts 2:4).

When I read Acts 2:4, I’m struck by the sheer boldness of that moment. The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and suddenly they could speak languages they’d never learnt – not to show off, but so that people from every nation could hear the good news in their own tongue. It was a moment of divine empowerment, where Heaven met Earth in a very real, very noisy, very public way.

And it gets me thinking: in today’s world, where are our public spaces? Where are our voices most heard? For me – and probably for many of us – it’s online. Social media, video calls, group chats, blogs, livestreams. The internet is the new marketplace, the new temple courtyard, the new street corner. It’s where we speak, share and witness. And that makes me wonder: am I allowing the Holy Spirit to fill my online presence in the same way he filled those disciples?

I’ll be honest – I don’t always get this right. I can scroll for hours and not once think about God. I can get caught up in comparison, in distraction or even in frustration when I see things I disagree with. Sometimes I post to seek approval, not to share encouragement. Other times, I stay silent when I know I should speak up in love. But Acts 2:4 reminds me that when the Holy Spirit fills us, he doesn’t leave us as we are. He equips us to communicate beyond our own natural abilities – with courage, clarity and compassion.

It makes me ask: what would it look like to invite the Holy Spirit into my digital life? To let him guide not just my face-to-face conversations, but also my DMs, my posts, my online comments? Could my phone become a tool for ministry – not in some flashy influencer way, but in the small, Spirit-led moments: encouraging someone with a message, sharing a verse that helped me or simply being honest about my faith journey?

The miracle of Pentecost wasn’t just about the languages – it was about accessibility. God made his message available to everyone, no matter where they were from. In the same way, I believe the internet gives us a unique opportunity to make faith accessible. Not watered-down, not performative, but real. Raw. Spirit-filled.

Of course, I still need to be discerning. The Holy Spirit didn’t just give the disciples the ability to speak: he gave them the wisdom to speak what was needed. Not every online argument needs my input. Not every trend needs my participation. But if I let the Spirit lead me, I believe he will give me the words when the moment is right – whether that’s in a comment, a video, a prayer request or just choosing kindness when it’s easier to be passive.

So, today I’m asking God to fill me afresh – not just in my church life or my quiet time, but in my online presence too. That my screen time might become sacred time. That my posts might point to peace, not just personality. That my words – typed or spoken – might carry the same Spirit who filled the disciples on Pentecost. And that maybe, just maybe, the same Spirit will enable others to hear something eternal in the midst of the digital noise.

Reflect and respond

• Reflect on the online spaces that you inhabit. What kinds of tongues are you speaking in these spaces?
• Explore Pentecost in practice further in the 7 June issue of Salvationist.