ugnet_: God understands your mother tongue

[Owor Kipenji]

Sunday comment: By Fr Wynand Katende

God understands your mother tongue
May 30 - June 5, 2004

Read Acts of Apostles 2:1-6 “How does it happen that each one of us is able to these men speaking in his own native language?” I wonder how many languages there are in the world! Uganda alone has over 56 local languages going by the 56 recognized ethnic groups as from 1926 (cf. 1995 Constitution). For purposes of national unity, however, many countries adopt a national or official language, but with no direct intention of downplaying the role and importance of the local ones? In any case, has God an official language as well? Is there anything like a natural language? Are many languages a blessing or a curse in human history? I am engaging myself in this kind of preamble, in order to lead us into serious appreciation of the feats of Pentecost. Man is by nature a social being. He uses the gift of speech as the chief means by which he expresses and carries on his social life. Speech happens to be any sign used to communicate thought. This includes language, gestures or body language, tones of voice under given circumstances. Although it is natural for man to speak, there is no evidence to prove that man has any particular language assigned to him at creation. One also has in mind the different local accounts of creation! So there wouldn’t be anything like a natural language. Language is essentially conventional, developed by man in different times and places. Language develops and is liable to death. God gave us the faculty of speech by which we develop language essentially to communicate the truth. Those who apply it to tell lies abuse it. God communicates the truth to us through our different local languages. Pope John Paul II’s ability to speak many different languages has earned him admiration, as he is able to effectively communicate gospel truth uncorrupted by interpretations. On the recent occasion of commissioning deacons at Gaba National Seminary, the rector counseled them to respect the people among whom they would be assigned to serve by learning their different languages, for effective evangelization and general ministry. The missionary activity of the Church has historically proved more effective among those peoples where the word of God was delivered in the local language than in the language of the missionary. The Church regards it as a duty to translate and avail the Holy Scriptures in the people’s different local languages. This is a positive appreciation and extension of the Pentecostal miracle. On Pentecost, the apostles, who were all Jews, were able to communicate to pilgrims from different nationalities, but each one was able to follow the message. Three thousand of them got converted. God, being omnipotent and omniscient, has no need to learn all the languages of the world for effective communication, however, He continues to apply the Pentecostal miracle by enabling us hear him speak one message, but in our different mother tongues. He, likewise, expects us to respond to him through our own different mother tongues, as and when applicable. We all know how difficult it becomes communicating through a foreign language. One tends to lack proper words and gestures to appropriately express one’s mind, whereby the message is often left half told. Jesus’ call to worship God in spirit and truth has a reference to the Pentecostal miracle (John 4:24). Paradoxically it is our ability to harness the power of local languages that we shall progress. One wishes the national constitution were available in local languages, empowering peasants to have an active role in the noble task of nation building. If the Holy Spirit honours people’s respective mother tongues, who are we to despise them?

© 2004 The Monitor Publications

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