Many of you who read this will debate me on this point, but Lost was without a doubt the most intriguing and exciting show that has ever been on television. I picked up on Lost in Season 2 and quickly rented all of the DVD's from Season 1 so that I could catch up and not be lost (pardon the pun). Now with Netflix, I can stream all the episodes of Lost in the comfort of my own home and so over the last few months my family has been going through the whole Lost adventure again from the very beginning.
A couple of the characters on the show, Jin and Sun, are from Korea and only Sun speaks English initially. The other night we were watching a scene where these two were having an exchange in Korean while the English translation was being subtitled at the bottom of the screen. My five year old son, who doesn't yet read, saw all of this going on and exclaimed to his older sister, "Hey, you know Spanish! What are they saying?" Needless to say, I almost choked on my coffee when I heard that. My son didn't really care what language they were speaking. All he knew was that he couldn't understand a word they were saying.
As the United States has advanced into the 21st Century and media outlets have managed to make mountains out of molehill-sized issues, one arena that many are apparently ready to do battle within is with the use of the English language. With so many peoples from all over the world finding a new home in our country each year, there are a myriad of languages spoken all across the fifty states. Depending on what region of America you call home, you will find locals who aren't too happy with any language being spoken other than English. There have even been some establishments where the owners have posted signs that read "Only English Spoken Here." A certain jealousy exists about the English language, which I often find a bit odd since most who come to our country have at least some working knowledge of our language. Conversely, it seems that Americans are the least likely to be bilingual.
Before you form the impression that this is a post accusing or even defending those who come to America and are unable to speak the language, that's not really where I'm going with this at all. I want to illustrate the importance that language plays for most of us and how we are often quite limited in our language skills if we are only proficient in speaking or understanding only one. And yet there is another language all together that resonates even more deeply in the heart.
A heart language is that which is native to a specific people group. It's what they have spoken from the beginning and the dialect itself is inseparable to their heritage. One's heart language is tied to his or her identity. When missionaries are being equipped for travel to foreign lands, a large part of their training involves learning the language of the people there. If we are able to communicate with someone in their native tongue - their heart language - doors for ministry open that might have remained shut. When someone hears you greet them or even carry on a simple conversation with them in their own native tongue, you will discover that this person will more than likely trust you and hear you out on other matters.
But the concept of heart language doesn't stop there. God also is familiar with heart languages. In fact, He invented the idea. When He created us in His own image, He chose to connect with us on a level that no other part of His creation would ever enjoy. God knows how to speak to our hearts and draw us to Himself. When we hunger and thirst for Him, it is then that we are striving to speak this heart language back to Him. The best part of God's heart language is that it's not something we can only learn in several semesters in a classroom setting. Instead, God writes His very words on our hearts once our lives have been surrendered to Him.
God's language is the language of grace. We can refuse to learn this language altogether or we can choose to neglect the relationship that God has initiated with us. But we will never approach Him and find a sign on His door demanding that we learn how to communicate with Him before He opens up to us. With God, there is no language barrier.
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