#162of365 #FaithBites #FaithJourney

Do you hear the words coming out of my mouth?

Language is a powerful thing. It lets us convey our thoughts, feelings, dreams, desires, believes, wishes, and more. It helps connect us to the past and to the future. It is immensely powerful when used well and when not understood, it can lead to miscommunications that can break relationships and lead to internal stress.

I made friends with an Australian at this conference and we have been hanging out at workshops and talking. As much as we like to think we speak English, there are many differences between terms we use to describe the same thing as well as how we measure items. We were talking about restaurants and she kept referring to Maccas. I asked her to repeat it a couple of times then I said, we didn’t have that here. Then she said, McDonalds. We call it McDonalds or MickeyDs but they call is Maccas. Then we were talking about the weather, I said it would be hot at 104 degrees. She had no concept about that as they use Celcius. Similar, we were talking about weight and loss of weight I said at one point I was 363 pounds, that meant nothing to here. We had to google and translate it to kilos.

Likewise, throughout the conference, even in medicine, there is a difference in the terms between countries, schools, foundational scientists, clinicians, and educators.

Also similar, is how people live, act, and work. We think we know what America is based on where we live. Go to another town for a few days or longer and you will see the culture is different.  People refer to things a bit different. Have different preferences, beliefs, and cultures.

Without a common language or terms, how can we understand each other? Then if we extend that to our faith, how can we expect people who don’t understand our language, understand Christ?

“Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward,they found a plain in Shinar[ and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” – Genesis 11:1-9

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” – Revelation 7:9

In the beginning we had one language. One way to discuss our thoughts, our feelings, and beliefs. Then as seen in the Tower of Babel story, our language was confused as we looked only to ourselves and not to the glory of God. In the end, (Yes I know today’s scripture is from the beginning and the end of the Bible), a great multitude of every language stood together in harmony before the Lord.

We have long way to go as a people to progress to the point when no matter our language or where we are from, we are in harmony. We as individuals can help.

We can share our experiences in Christ with others. We don’t need to use big terms. We don’t need to use “church language” or even unfamiliar terms. We can speak from the heart how we feel about the Lord. We can share scripture. When we do that, we begin to bridge that divide. When we use a ‘big word’ or a ‘church term’, we should stop to explain it. Not wait for others to ask, but explain it. I have to ask on a daily basis about medical terms that I don’t know. But I realize that many won’t ask. They will assume if they don’t know it, either it’s not important, not relevant, or they will feel stupid if they ask. If we instead, explain it in terms they are familiar with, we bridge that gap.

We have a lot of work to do to help overcome our language barriers. But through Christ and the Holy Spirit, if we work at it, we can achieve all things. (Philippians 4:13).

Are you willing to change your language to share the love of Christ? Are you willing to tell your story in a way that is familiar and accessible to others?

I am willing with the help of God.