The Blessing of a Foreign Language

The Summer Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Paris from July 16 to August 11, 2024. A browse through the International Olympic website reveals a few exciting activities currently underway. For instance, the Olympic Flame arrived in Marseille and the torch relay has already started.  There was even the Olympic AI launch which took place to unveil plans to provide a safe digital environment for the athletes. This is meant to protect the athletes from online bullying as they compete in their various events. Can you imagine data is now being used to research online violence in sports? This certainly is a step in the right direction. According to Athletes for Hope, the data for professional athletes show that up to 35% of elite athletes suffer from a mental health crisis. The sports professional bodies have now recognized how important it is to take care of their athletes. The Games, promises to live up to its name of truly being a multicultural event for all to enjoy.

As France will be the spotlight of the world this summer, so too will its customs, food, history, and the like. They are known for a few iconic landmarks such as the Champs-Elysees, the Seine River, the Chartres Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and not to mention their stunning castles with beautiful courtyards. According to the 2022 report of the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), 321 million people speak French. Wow!  That’s a whole lot of people and a whole lot of influence; especially on the non-native speakers. This could perhaps be a wonderful time for people to start taking French lessons. Acts 2 reveals how important it is to learn a foreign language. A portion of the scripture passage reads: There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were blown away. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?

Languages represent nations and they represent people. Abba Father in His way ensured that mankind would speak different languages. He planned for it because He intended humans to be a blessing to one another. Abba Father wants us to reach out to various people groups. One good way to do this is to perhaps learn a foreign language. It would help us to break down our prejudices, stereotypes, and misunderstandings to pave the way for unity. Wouldn’t it be great to learn a foreign language to understand the cultures and context of the people?  Doing this would allow you to understand their needs, desires, and stories resulting in God’s will to be made manifest in their lives. Additionally, Christians are called to go into the world and impact nations. God’s character and nature are in all of us. We are made in His image and likeness. He knows all our languages, even the ones that we don’t speak. Shalom!