In Plain English

by Colin Halstead

I have great memories of my short-term mission trip to Bolivia in 2008. One of my fondest was when we were involved in a local church’s worship services. While listening to the singing around me I found I could pick out four distinct languages: Spanish, Quechan, English and another indigenous language (of which I still don’t know the name). Their song book reflected three of these.  Looking back over 20 plus years, I have had similar worship experiences in Estonia, Scandinavia, Italy, Raratonga and other countries where I have participated in worship with local believers.

On this particular trip, I connected with the same confusion the people of Babel must have experienced after the multiplication of languages God visited on them. In pride, these Babylonian people attempted to make a name for them selves by building the now infamous tower to reach the heavens. They focused on remaining together rather than filling the earth as God had instructed. The newly vocalized languages caused groups to form, separate and move apart from one another, creating from then on a verbal, as well as geographical, barrier between groups. Remarkably, on the day of Pentecost, God’s power over language was once again evident as He miraculously empowered those new believers to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to the variety of understandable tongues present in Jerusalem. It was a jump-start to the mandate that He gave to His followers to: “go and make disciples of all nations.” I realized in that church service in Bolivia, that Christ has called us to be part of bridging the gap that was caused by the curse visited on those mono-language tower builders! We can take active part in reversing this curse, not only by communicating the Gospel message but also by communicating it in a way that is understandable to our audience. 

This is true even in our own Christian verbiage. I recently went to a Christmas Eve service with someone who had never been to a gathering of Christians. They asked many questions about the service and the language used by the pastor and in the music sung. I quickly realized that I and those around me were using a language foreign to this man as we talked about: “nativity,” “worship,” “gospel,” “sinful,” “hymn,” and “pastor.” All these terms called for translation or explanation. Even though we both spoke English our nomenclature was radically different!

I have written before about Revelations 7:9-10 where the Apostle John shares with us his heavenly vision:

I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in while robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb.’

You and I are part of God’s redemptive plan to bring those from every tongue, tribe, and nation to salvation. He chooses to use us! We have the great job of partnering with God in communicating the ‘reverse of the curse’ that came through Jesus. We are called to explain His gracious loving plan in words and actions that are understandable, not just to ourselves or those like us, but to the audience He has called us to reach.

That great day of gathering will be like that evening in Bolivia only a million times more profound. Every voice present, in their own language, will exalt their God and their Savior for all He has done to rescue His people and bring glory to Himself! Unlike the selfish and disobedient tower-builders, they will be coming on God’s terms, being preserved through His power, remaining together in one place, and bringing glory to His name.