Life can certainly be full or surprises, but I’d hazard a guess that no one ever expects to wake up to hear their toasters speaking perfect Russian. But that is exactly what happened to the good folk of Hooke, Dorset, a few years ago. In fact, parish council chairman John Dalton went so far as to tell the press that the events would not have been out of place in the X Files.

Despite all appearances to the contrary, though this rather ‘freaky’ behaviour had a very rational explanation. It was caused by the BBC World Service transmissions emanating from the radio centre in nearby Rampisham.

I’ve been thinking about this rather bizarre behaviour quite a bit over the last week or so because I believe it is a helpful introduction to the two major festivals we are celebrating as churches at the moment. Last week for example, was Ascension Day, the day Christians believe Jesus left this world to take his place on the throne in heaven. And this coming Sunday (Pentecost) is the annual reminder God poured out His on the church. Indeed, some would go so far as to say that this Sunday should be known as the church’s birthday.

Be that as it may, the toaster story is a useful way of understanding the way God is at work in the world. We may not be able to see him with our physical sight, but we can be sure He is among us because of what we see Him doing. Jesus did not talk about radio waves of course (he predated Marconi by a few years). He employed the image of the wind. But both phenomena remind us that it is a little naïve to say you have to see something to believe in it.

I have certainly seen God at work, sometimes in the most amazing ways. There was Peter for example (not his real name). Peter was diagnosed with a dreadful terminal illness, and to put it mildly he was terrified. I remember Peter asking us to pray for him and we did. Peter was not healed (he died some time later), but as we prayed he told us that he had had ‘a vision of Jesus’ and Peter left the church a transformed man. He had been given an amazing sense of peace, and it was a peace that never left him until the day he finally died.

And then there was Doris. Doris only came to church because her sister was being baptised. I discovered later that she had been suffering from severe arthritis when she entered the church, but that it had completely disappeared by the time she left. And no one was more surprised than Doris because she had asked no one to pray for her!

Similarly, I have watched a Croatian friend forgive a group of soldiers who had gang-raped her sister, and I am glad to say I will be catching up with her again in September when my wife and I will be joining hundreds of others at the opening of a new Christian Pastoral Centre in Rijeka. This, as much as anything I’ve ever experienced, is testimony to the way in which God is able to resource the people who are eager to do His work.

Best of all though, I have witnessed the most unexpected people coming to faith. Some like me were once very sceptical or even vehemently opposed to the Christian message. But God is in the conversion business. It all began on the Day of Pentecost when several thousand came to faith, and it continues unabated to this day.

Rob James is a Baptist Pastor broadcaster and writer who currently operates as a church and media consultant for the Evangelical Alliance Wales. He is available for preaching and teaching throughout Wales and can be contacted at [email protected]