I had a long talk with my atheist friend this week.

He does not like Pentecost.

This is the Christian holiday that marks the dramatic coming of the Holy Spirit. It’s a miracle in which we hear about the descent, on the willing disciples, of tongues of fire that inspire them to speak in languages they had never spoken before.

My friend does not believe in the supernatural. He thinks the universe is bound by scientific laws that keep anything ‘otherworldly’ from existing, much less acting. He believes we humans are all there is and that at the end of the day, we’re alone.

I get where he’s coming from and I value his insight into how the world works, why we’re here, and what we’re supposed to be doing. But I can’t be honest with myself and believe that we’re all alone. I’ve had too many experiences that teach me otherwise. I have the experience of prayer, prayers answered, wisdom given, love received, and the testimony of countless, trusted friends who’ve experienced the same thing.

After all, Pentecost is about God showing us that God is here – that we’re not alone.

And Pentecost invites us to contemplate that God is present to guide, direct, and lead in the challenging work of following Jesus – of acting out of love in every situation. Pentecost is meant to inspire, motivate, arouse, and encourage us to go deeper into loving God and our neighbor.

Our job will never be to convert our atheist friends - it will always be to love them. And the proof of the Pentecost miracle just may lie in our ability to do so.