As the Church year moves from Easter into Pentecost, this Sunday we will remember again the story in Acts 2 of the Holy Spirit moving over the apostles in Jerusalem, giving them the gifts of language and understanding. Today, in our diverse and changing world, the ability to speak another language is helpful for living as a global citizen and for making connections between peoples and cultures. For many of us, developing this skill involves years of study, stacks of reference books, and countless hours with a smartphone app. However, the apostles in Jerusalem had none of these tools – just God’s Spirit.
Like those ancient apostles, God also gives us all the ability to speak a language other than our native tongue. We are all bilingual, even if we only speak English, because we can speak the language of faith, sometimes even without words. Christian life is similar to a foreign language. In a world of bullying and conflict, “love your enemies” sounds odd and foreign. Welcoming the stranger, seeking justice, and striving for peace often seem like foolishness.
There are sounds in every language that are very difficult for non-native speakers to pronounce, like the ch in German, the ñ in Spanish, or the tongue-clicks found in several African languages. Young children of any language are able to make such sounds, but as we grow and develop, it becomes very hard for us to make sounds that aren’t part of our culture. The same thing can happen with our language of faith. What sounds in your “faith vocabulary” do you need to practice? Being patient? Forgiving someone? Praying? Speaking out against injustice? Digging deeper into scripture?
The work of Lutheran Peace Fellowship articulates the language of Christian nonviolence that is at the core of Jesus’ teaching. With our wide collection of leaders’ guides and resources, we can help congregations learn the vocabulary of justice and community. We communicate the verbs of faith through our actions and advocacy.
How are you proclaiming peace in your community?
