Caring to Learn the Language

I'm still thinking about all the hoopla about shutting down our borders, illegal aliens, etc. (See a few posts back.) Many raise legitimate economic concerns around having so many people within the borders of the United States who are not legal residents. Some say that legal immigration itself should be slowed, especially from Central American countries. There are those who make a big issue over language, as it relates to Hispanic people in our country, saying, "If they are going to live here and benefit from being here, they need to learn our language!" (So, did we Caucasians learn the native American languages we found when we landed here five centuries ago, or did we make them learn ours? Sorry....couldn't resist! Different blog entry for a different time...)

Anyway, here's the deal about language. We a granddaughter who is about a year and a half old. She is starting to use words, which is very exciting to parents and grandparents. However, as much as we make a big deal about toddlers learning to speak as we do, we in fact learn their language along the way as well. With our granddaughter, I know what her sounds and gestures mean. I know how she signals "yes" and "no," I know how she communicates, "I'm excited!" and I know how she says, "I'm scared," or "I'm uneasy." She knows how to tell me she wants to do something, without using words that are in my vocabulary. I take the time and trouble to know her language because I care about her and her well being is a very high priority.

If we care about someone and/or if we have something important to communicate to someone, we will find out how to do that in a way that makes sense in that person's language. If we don't do that, we send a message that we don't care, like it or not. In the world of organized Christian religion, our greatest desire is that persons meet, know, and experience the life-changing presence of the one known as Jesus of Nazareth. However, we are too often guilty of not learning the "language" of those whom we want to introduce to Jesus. We expect them to learn our language to find out about Jesus. And we church people do have a language. How many of you have a clue as the meaning of the following words: narthex, chancel, nave, baptistry, vestibule, hymnody, offertory? (Frankly, I don't know the meaning of half of them, and I've been in church most of my life!) This is a language the world around us does not know, but we expect them to pick it up on their own. Intended or not, basically that sends a message that says, "We don't want you!"

So, back to the southern border of the USA...Is that what we want to say - "We don't want you!" Did we punt that, "Give me your tired, your poor," things somewhere along the way and I missed that memo? Still just thinking out loud. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.