We are all aliens- part 1

I have been blessed by having the opportunity to visit many countries. As a visitor to these countries I have been in the position of not being able to understand what the people around me are saying or to be able to read the signs on the streets. It can be uncomfortable at times. People around me are conversing effortlessly and I don't understand a word. If I have an interpreter, I can participate in the conversation, but it slows down greatly and loses something in the translation. As a result of my experiences, I have great empathy for those from other countries who visit or live here and have difficulty communicating. I have been the one who has to say, "I don't understand" or just smile and shake my head while the person talking to me is convinced that if he says it loud and slow enough I will understand. But I don't. I always cringe when I hear someone say, "You're in America. Speak English!" We think it's simple because it's what we speak. It's easy to learn a few phrases, but it is very difficult to be able to communicate thoughts and feelings in a different language. I know many missionaries who have lived in other parts of the world for decades and speak the language of their field fluently. But they never lose their original, or heart language. That is the one they can use to communicate effortlessly to someone else.

I love that Oklahoma City has such a variety of ethnic communities with their various languages and traditions. I encourage them to learn to speak english because it makes more options available to them, but I completely understand that they will want to speak their heart language whenever possible. Let's make sure that as Christians we love and respect our neighbors from around the world. They are also God's creation, and we will be spending eternity with people of every nation, tribe and language. Let's start getting used to that experience now.