Languages

I once (a few years ago) had a very interesting conversation with a person who felt that difference in languages did not matter; what mattered for her was racial difference. She was all for racial healing and reconciliation. My view is that racial differences (the physical differences) do not matter, while language differences do matter. Why?

I speak four languages with degrees of fluency. I can also read three more and understand another. In my experience, there are concepts that simply do not translate from one language to another no matter how hard we try. Concepts stem from experiences. Experiences find expression in the language of a culture. There are times when a word that makes perfect sense in a culture because it captures its meaning in the context of that culture simply does not translate into another language because the other language does not have the same supporting culture and context.

Fauzia, who was like a mother to me, a Muslim woman whose family before her birth had converted from Sikhism, would say to me, “Son, don’t ever think you can read the Holy Quran and will understand it, just like when I read your Bible, it makes no sense to me”. She loved reading the Holy Scriptures of other religions. She found them fascinating. She had lots of questions about what she read. And she never for a moment thought that she had the knowledge or the place to offer a commentary on what she read. She understood the limitations of language.

Ellie has been our puppy for the last eight years now. We got her when she was only twelve weeks old. Since then, Mollie and I have learned a lot of her language, and she has mastered ours. We know when she wants food, when she wants a back rub, when she wants to go on a walk and when she is done with the walk. We know when she wants to have a play date with her friends, when she is thirsty, when she is tired, and when she wants our whole household to call it a day and go to bed. More than that, we have also learned that talking to her about how we are feeling, how she may be feeling, and communicating to her our plans for the day really make our relationship stronger with her. You must have guessed by now I have never been a fan of the bark color; I believe that the only way she and I can have a strong relationship is when we have a good and clear communication. For communication she must learn my language just as much as I need to learn hers. She has done a far better job at learning mine than I have learning hers – but I am trying.

Being in a multicultural family, I often find myself asking my wife questions like, what does that mean and why? I cannot always assume that just because I know English that I also know how it is used in the Boston area for the people who have experienced life since the 1920s till now. I don’t speak Boston, but I want to understand it; and yet I must be careful never to claim knowing it as someone from Boston does. Especially because while I have learned a lot about the Irish subculture in Boston and its struggles till at least the 1970s, I cannot claim to know its full impact.

That is the point, you see languages matter because they give us a window into how someone feels; what their universe is like; what shapes their worldview. The issue is that we cannot learn a language from a distance, we must immerse ourselves in the world of that language. To make room for another language in our world is to accept that another world exists which is equally beautiful, and which deserves to be loved. Doing so does not make us small, weak, or less, it makes us bigger, stronger, and richer. When we explain to Ellie that we will be away from the house for 2 hours and that she will have to take care of the house for us, it does not take away anything from us, it empowers her to be an equally valued member of our common household. Not surprisingly, she never argues with us when we give her value! She takes on the responsibility and lets us go with peace and confidence.

Accepting another language, be it dog, another religion, another geographic location, etc., and all that it entails, is accepting the fullness of God’s image. Trust me, there is peace in that acceptance.

Which languages are you working on? Please share in the comments section of this blog.