The Labor of Language
As an avowed introvert, I can be highly conservative in my verbal economics. In other words, I can stay silent for hours, not uttering a word. Then again, start talking to me about theology, politics, movies or football and you'll soon wish you had not committed this blunder. Want to avoid me? Start with the chit-chat. I'm being brutally honest here, if you try to go through superficial pleasantries with me, I will respond but you'll never really get to know me. For me, greetings like "How are you" are ritualistic exchanges that indicate I am aware of your presence. The response, "I'm doing (pretty) good" is equally ritualistic. It may be true, it may not be true. But it's custom. If I break it and actually answer "tired" or "surviving" that just means I'm not that good at lying even for the sake of ritual so I'm not even trying.
Now, this is not a rant. On the contrary, it's a segue way into my topic, that of language. After two semesters worth of Latin here at RBC, I am just as terrible with linguistics as before. I know enough to pass my exam (hopefully), but I certainly not a wizard of Virgil's tongue. I cannot keep details and big picture concepts at the same time, which means I either understand the linguistic principles but not the language itself (bad idea) or I recognize the words/forms but have zero idea of the purpose and use (just as bad).
Still, learning another language has forced me to think. Just why should we learn languages? Why are words and their meanings so important? Why did God give man the gift of speech? Considering the host of problems related to linguistic communication (written and verbal), why would he reveal himself to us through such a fragile medium?
As I considered this question, I concluded that in language we see the complexity of God. Now, I know God is actually simple (not composed of parts) but in a sense, when think of the reality behind language, we see that God is the God of the English speaker, the Russian speaker, the Latin speaker, the Spanish speaker, the Chinese, Arabic- and whatever language you can think of - speakers, and that his message stays the same in all of these. Islam has a holy language, Arabic. Roman Catholics consider Latin the sacred tongue. Ask some KJV only advocates and 16th Century English is the chosen speech. Then again, when Jerome set about to translate the Vulgate, he had those who held Greek as above the rest. But God speaks to all people everywhere in their language.
It awes me to realize the gospel in Latin and the gospel in English (or any other language) are one and the same.
"Tradidi enim vobis in primis quod et accepi quoniam Christus mortuus est pro peccatis nostris secundum scripturas et quia sepultus est et quia resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas.."
(1 Cor. 15:3-4 Vulgate)
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.." (1 Cor. 15:3-4 ESV)
