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Language learning - Why Bother?

Wang sat opposite me in our living room listening intently. He had many questions and had been brought to us by a Christian friend called Chen, who was a new believer.

I had only been learning language for a short time and although I could understand his questions, I could not answer him adequately. I had never felt so frustrated. I knew the answers, but couldn’t express them in a way this seeking man could understand. In the end, he left with a puzzled look on his face.

An incarnational lifestyle is one of OMF’s core values, in light of the example of Christ. Jesus ‘became flesh and made His dwelling among us’ (John 1:14). He freely communicated and empathized with those around him, living as part of their everyday lives, sharing their experiences.

In practice today, incarnation means learning language, culture, lifestyle and perspective, in an effort to deeply understand people and be effective in ministry. That is, not just learning the right words to say, but how to communicate life-changing truths through an understanding of how people think and see the world.

It is a costly exercise, requiring a consistent and ongoing investment of time. To be reasonably profi cient takes a few years of total commitment, and to be really good can take one’s whole career. However, the effort, diffi culties, humiliation and suffering we are willing to experience in this process are perhaps the most powerful expressions of Christ’s love to people who have never heard about Him.

It is a commitment that pays off a hundredfold. The incident with Wang was more than twelve years ago. Now, when people like him come to my house, I can understand their questions and have a better grasp of where they are coming from. I am able to frame answers in a way that makes sense logically to their way of thinking. The confused look is now more the exception than the norm.

In 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 Paul writes that it is God who makes seeds grow. The part we have been given is to plant and water the seed – for me, the investment in language and culture has made the difference between clumsily scattering seed on ground that I cannot see, and carefully planting seed on ground I have the skills to assess. If you ask me “was all the hard work worth it?” I would say defi nitely - but don’t ask me, ask the people who sit in my living room now.