During this past
week I’ve been sharing various Christmas stories/parables. I hope that you have
enjoyed the spiritual journey that stories alone can provide. They speak a
universal language and communicate the very heart of God. Maybe that is why
Jesus used so many stories to share the great news of God’s love for all
people. This particular story speaks to that reality.
What Language Does God Speak? By Rev. Joseph
Healey
Once upon a time
there was a man in the Serengeti District of western Tanzania called Marwa. In
the sixth grade he studied the Christian religion. At Baptism he chose the name
Emmanuel which means "God is with us." After finishing high school
Emmanuel read magazines and books about God. He believed that God is truly
present among us, but he asked: "What language does God speak?"
Emmanuel posed
his special question to different church leaders in his village. The old
catechist answered. "I think that God speaks Latin." The chairperson
of the parish council guessed, "God speaks our local language
Ngoreme." But the searching youth Emmanuel had doubts. "When I get
the right answer," he said to himself, "I’ll know immediately and
feel great joy." So the young African set off on a journey. In the
neighboring parish he asked again: "What language does God speak?"
One Christian suggested Kuria, another local language.
Again Emmanuel
had doubts. He began to travel across the whole of Tanzania visiting small
towns and big cities. In one place the Christians were certain that God spoke
Swahili. People in western Tanzania said Sukuma while residents in the
northeast said Chagga. Emmanuel was not satisfied with these answers.
Remembering the African saying -- "traveling is learning" --
he journeyed outside Tanzania. The Kenyans said Kikuyu and the people of Uganda
answered, "God speaks Ganda." In West Africa he got different
replies: Lingala in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Hausa in
Nigeria and Arabic in Morocco.
He decided to
travel the whole world if necessary. Passing through Europe he was told
"French, German and Italian." The Christians of North America said
"English" while South Americans replied, "Spanish." In his
heart the young Tanzanian knew that these answers were inadequate. Determined
to find the real truth he went to China where the local people insisted that
God speaks Mandarin or Cantonese. Emmanuel was tired from his long travels but
he resolutely pushed on. In India he was told Hindi. He reached Israel late in
December. The local inhabitants said, "Surely God speaks Hebrew."
Exhausted by his
long travels and the unsatisfactory answers, Emmanuel entered the town of
Bethlehem. The local hotels were filled. He looked everywhere for a place to
stay. Nothing was available. In the early morning hours he came to a cave where
cows and sheep were sheltered. He was surprised to see a young woman with her
newborn baby.
This young mother
said to the traveling youth, "Welcome, Emmanuel, you are very
welcome." Astonished to hear his name, the young African listened in awe
as the woman called Mary continued: "For a very long time you have
traveled around the world to find out what language God speaks. Your long
journey is over. God speaks the language of love. God loved the world so
much that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not
perish but may have eternal life."
Overjoyed to hear
these words of Mary the young Tanzanian understood Gods language of love for
all people, for all races, for all nations. Emmanuel exclaimed, "Truly,
today God is with us."
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