Ha, ha! Have you ever seen or heard of a duck communicating with a chicken? It'll 'quack' you up if you do, I think. They do not speak the same language.
Reading 1 Corinthians 14 has been very timely for me. I've been asked to share something about motherhood with some ladies - some mothers and grandmothers, who do not speak the same language as I. I certainly am not competent to speak theirs.
So it's a dilemma.
To further the complication, the translator is not feeling competent to translate from English into her language. But she could from her language to the language of the ladies we would visit. In this way, even though convoluted, there would be real communication happening. Thank the Lord for ChatGPT that can translate the basics.
The apostle Paul knew something about this. Well, not about ChaGPT, of course, but he wrote there's no point in speaking, even a Bible message if the hearers don't understand. You need someone to translate, and that accurately (vs 5).
You don't want to be a noisy gong or a clanging symbol either. You need to show love, care and respect to the hearers by ...
" ... pursuing love (God's kind) and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (chapter 14:1).
Oh how I'd love to have the tongue of this locale in which to prophesy. Alas, try as I might, I seem to be a monolingual person that stumbles and falls over another language.
So I really thank the Lord for the sister-in-Christ willing to go even though it's the convoluted route, to convey something for me that hopefully and prayerfully the Lord sanctions and sanctifies me to share.
The focus purpose being to build each other up in our faith, and to encourage each other in motherhood and the Lord. What's more, so that even ...
" ... the church may be built up" (vs 5).
May we all strive in building up the church. May we also be eager for manifestations of the Spirit to aid in this process. May we all pray and sing and praise in our spirits as well as our minds, and not "cluck, cluck" annoyingly to give God glory. So as much as in us lies, let's give thanks with cheerful sincere hearts, transmitting the love of God as best we can through whatever language possible, even if its convoluted.
~ ERC June 2026 ~
Based on 1 Corinthians 14:1, 5, 12, 15 and 17 ESV.
Sing, Oh For a Thousand Tongues, along with Reawaken Hymns.
P.S. I'm back from that sharing and in the end another sister did the translating work. Either way, may the Lord be praised and get the glory. It's only by His grace we can doing any of this.
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