When was the last time you spoke without a language?
I was raised to believe that my culture and my language was just a tiny bit superior to those around it…just like everyone else. I was never openly arrogant about it but in my heart I always thought my language was better than the rest and on the outside I resisted learning new languages. I ended up moving to a completely new territory for work, I had a great work environment and wonderful colleagues who as fate would have it were from different backgrounds. We were all smart enough to get along just fine while silently acknowledging the fact that we all still inwardly believed that our respective cultures and languages were the best. Time as you know has a way of eroding barriers, as months passed and our team grew closer, we were now in that space where when a person would point out how things were done differently back home and they’d be met with a facetious remark. We’d chalk it up to office banter while secretly nursing our burn.
One weekend I was exploring the city and I see this beautiful Church , naturally I enter and look around. While on campus this friendly Father came up to me and started a conversation, asking me where I was from and so on. All this happened 5 years ago but I still remember the aura and personality (? I know I’m not getting this right) of this man. He was in his early forties, tall, french beard, a big smile on his face and a spring in his step. I’m sure everyone’s met someone like that, the type of person with whom conversations just flow and you feel you could bring up anything under the sun and have a rational discussion without being judged. I end up talking about this cultural difference undertone in my team and what he said next changed my outlook.
“I was born in a big city and grew up with the same mindset that you did. I believed that my city was the best and others just hadn’t discovered it yet. When I was 19 the Church posted me in Costa Rica to help with mission work. This was the first time I was leaving the country. I had a layover in Singapore and as I was walking around the airport I began to realize how different everyone was. I stood in the middle of an atrium and closed my eyes just taking it all in. I heard people passing by conversing in so many different languages. I could feel emotions ranging from laughter to boredom, everything I experience everyday just conveyed in a different tongue. That is when it hit me, my language and my culture is just one of soo many that have organically evolved all over the world. While it should be celebrated its certainly nothing to be proud of.”
I already knew that but having him say it out loud just made it real. I started going over that statement over and over in my mind and I realized I was being foolish. By being arrogant about my culture and putting it on a separate platform I’m only pigeon-holing myself and doing myself and my culture a disservice. There’s so much out there to experience and I was restricting myself to just one diet just because I was scared someone might one up my upbringing.
On the following Monday I march into work and ask my friend to teach me swear words in her language (I know, I know, turns out I’m juvenile like that). The entire team burst out laughing and people started opening up, it began with funny words and then people being genuinely interested in each others worlds. By the end of the year everyone wanted to visit every other person’s city and wanted to learn more.
From there I must say my little world has opened up immensely. I’ve had long conversations with random strangers about their country. I’ve picked up phrases in a lot of languages and I see people light up when I say something in their language (a greeting, not a swear word! I’ve grown since then). It always leads to me learning something interesting, a small window into a different world.
Here’s the kicker, I’ve had multiple instances wherein I communicated with a person with no mutual language! It ranges from a conversation with a teenager with the help of google translate to a conversation with an old women which was mostly hand gestures and a ton of giggling. You have to try it! There are so many nice people out there waiting to tell their story, all you have to do is be a little open to listening. I assure you it will lead to a lot of laughs and a sometimes a lesson to carry forward. Just remember you’re unique, just like everyone else.
1 Corinthians 12: 20–25 King James Version (KJV)
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
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