Whenever an old wireless or early television broadcast is replayed it is obvious how much the use of language and valuing of accent and dialect have changed over the years. When we listen to or watch a news broadcast we no longer hear, or even want to hear the same stereotypical ‘BBC voice’. We are surrounded by so much linguistic colour that to get monochrome in the media is out of place.
According to the early chapters of Genesis, following the catastrophic events of the flood a remnant people rebuilt their lives. They had a common language and saw themselves as strong. They set out to build a tower as a representation of their strength. Genesis 11 records the parable of the ‘Tower of Babel’ as a parable explaining why languages diversified and mutual understanding was no longer a universal assumption. It is said that God brought this about so that the people did not become too strong for him and think they could manage on their own.
Last Sunday the Church celebrated the Day of Pentecost. One of the features of the coming of the Holy Spirit was that people of different languages all understood what was being said as though they were plugged into an automatic instant translation service. That was a gift of God. Since Pentecost, in the charismatic parts of the Church the gift of speaking in tongues in prayer has been used as a way of coming closer to God while the sounds uttered are incomprehensible to other people. Saint Paul had to warn against that in a letter.
So should we all be instantly intelligible to one another, should we regret linguistic difference or should we champion it? The things I referred to are just examples of strengths and weaknesses, virtues and frustrations all rolled up together into life in the real world. Sometimes we can understand each other and at other times not. Failure to understand does not have to be the same as being at crossed purposes and anyway, we can always communicate by smiles and the way we look.
A Prayer
Lord God, thank you that whether in clarity of speech or in tumbling thoughts, you hear and know what we mean when we pray to you. Nothing frustrates our communication with you even if we cannot always interpret what you say to us or to each other. As Trinity Sunday comes, we rejoice in the differences in your way of being and of presenting yourself that makes you unique; it makes you God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in all languages and none, we worship you and adore you for what you are. Amen.