The Youngest
Once a month the North Baptist Church family gathers on Sunday evening for a night of singing and also to welcome new members into the church. We decided (since the youngest does not like the nursery so well) to have our youngest son sit with us during the hour-long service. He did fine and even sang some of the songs that were familiar to him (he is 3 years old). As he sat beside me singing I couldn't understand a word he was saying. But he sang and I encouraged him the best I could.
And then it hit me - how similar my son and I am. I mean, how much of my prayers, praise, and meditation is simply noise that needs to be interpreted or understood simply for what it is? I am sure that my communication with God Himself is more like my son's than the most intelligent thing that God has ever heard from a human. If it isn't my words, then maybe it is my motives messing things up. Even when I pray the Scriptures, how much of our English translation clearly reflects the original intent of the Bible in its original language?
I may not be articulating this next point as well as I ought to so bear with me. Obviously the Scriptures are exactly what we need for salvation and even godliness in this life. They are sufficient and complete. Yet I wonder how much God had to "dumb it down" for us. In other words, I would think that the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic that the Scriptures were written in had to be at least a tad insufficient to communicate the high thoughts of God. If God could truly reveal Himself to us in the the way that He would have to so that we could capture the totality of who He is would He choose Greek to do it? Why not Latin? Why not use a Kanji character set? Or, most likely, something not of this world or dimension even?
Obviously God wanted to save us and He could not have used any other means other than what He did for that would not be communication at all. How could we understand unless He used the means He has chosen. But the language of heaven is not Greek. It is not English. And I doubt my lips will move as I fall before Him and worship Him free from the fetters of that which I hate.
And then it hit me - how similar my son and I am. I mean, how much of my prayers, praise, and meditation is simply noise that needs to be interpreted or understood simply for what it is? I am sure that my communication with God Himself is more like my son's than the most intelligent thing that God has ever heard from a human. If it isn't my words, then maybe it is my motives messing things up. Even when I pray the Scriptures, how much of our English translation clearly reflects the original intent of the Bible in its original language?
I may not be articulating this next point as well as I ought to so bear with me. Obviously the Scriptures are exactly what we need for salvation and even godliness in this life. They are sufficient and complete. Yet I wonder how much God had to "dumb it down" for us. In other words, I would think that the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic that the Scriptures were written in had to be at least a tad insufficient to communicate the high thoughts of God. If God could truly reveal Himself to us in the the way that He would have to so that we could capture the totality of who He is would He choose Greek to do it? Why not Latin? Why not use a Kanji character set? Or, most likely, something not of this world or dimension even?
Obviously God wanted to save us and He could not have used any other means other than what He did for that would not be communication at all. How could we understand unless He used the means He has chosen. But the language of heaven is not Greek. It is not English. And I doubt my lips will move as I fall before Him and worship Him free from the fetters of that which I hate.
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