One Body, Many Voices

(Dave is on vacation during the month of July, so instead of publishing pre-written content, you will be hearing from some different voices over the next couple of weeks.)

I am a language person, as in I love to learn new languages and am constantly thinking about what words mean, where they come from, etc. Many people, though, have found the task of learning their native language challenging enough and the thought of trying to tackle a second language is just overwhelming. It’s true that God did make each of us unique in our giftings; nevertheless, we shouldn’t let a hurdle like this be an excuse not to engage with another part of the Body.

First Corinthians talks about the Body of Christ being a complex entity made up of lots of different elements, including, one might surmise, linguistic variety. Paul would have understood this since first-century Corinth boasted of many dialects of Greek in addition to Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin, among others. In Tucson, Arizona, where J17 Ministries is based, for example, everyone would be quick to recognize the presence of Spanish alongside English. There are a number of other languages represented in the Christian community as well including: Tohono O'odham, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, American Sign Language, and more.

Most often, in my view, the Church focuses on race/ethnicity, age, and denomination as bridge-building opportunities for developing citywide unity. Less so, do we consider how our the Body has room to grow across differences in language. For example, when was the last time you engaged with a brother or sister in Christ whose primary language was different from your own? For most of us, this takes intentionality. Recently at the women’s John 17 Weekend, there were a number of individuals in attendance who stepped out of their linguistic comfort zone to worship and fellowship in an English-dominant atmosphere, and we were all blessed for it.

Many of our communities have Sunday services held in languages other than English. I would like to challenge you to go visit your Christian brothers and sisters there one of these days! (And if you live in a smaller town where linguistic diversity is less prevalent, check out an online service.) In my experience, these (typically small) congregations receive guests with open arms and go to great lengths to help visitors feel welcome (including providing translation if possible). Whether you can follow along with the sermon or not, consider and soak in the Holy Spirit’s presence in that space. He hears and responds to the hearts of each of His children, regardless of language.

I look forward to the day, either due to one celestial language or pentecostal intervention, when I can speak with all of my Christian brothers and sisters from around the globe without barrier. In the meantime, however, I can’t help but think how much it makes our Father smile when we praise Him through our linguistic diversity.