"The nations" -- that's us.

Both Epiphany and Pentecost are events that open God's salvation plan to everyone. This wasn't necessary, or inevitable, or even obviously foretold. Jesus could have been the promised Messiah, the king of the Jews and only of the Jews, from the royal line of David. His reconciling sacrifice could have been only a renewal, a deepening, of the covenant God had already made with Israel. There was no reason for anyone, Jew or Gentile, to expect otherwise.

Yet after the Incarnation, Gentiles came from other lands to do homage to the baby king not their own.
The feast of Epiphany doesn't just end the twelve days of Christmas; it opens Christmas up, opens it out, to the rest of the world.

Similarly, Pentecost doesn't only close the season of Easter, it opens it up and out to all the nations. The Pentecost miracle, whether of tongue or of ear, caused people from all nations to hear the Good News. Not only that, it opened up the doors and windows of the upper room, behind which the disciples had been hiding in fear; it propelled them out into the world.

Both these feasts emphasize that God isn't into in-groups, not even the in-group of his specially chosen people. The doors are flung open wide, the light borne by Israel enlightens the whole world.

A good progressive message for us today, I think: how can we open some doors, break down some barriers, fling open our arms and hearts to welcome those who are not "one of us"?