Day 29 Countdown. The unifying power of language

Scripture Readings

Gen. 11

7 Come, let’s go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So from there the LORD scattered them throughout the earth.

Acts 2

4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

Rev. 7

9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

Salvation belongs to our God,

who is seated on the throne,

and to the Lamb!

Culture Reading

• Read in Culture Smart: Kenya: Chapter 1, Land and People, p. 17-26 on the Kenyan People

• Did you notice how many tribes were mentioned? There are 47 total tribes in Kenya—all forced into one western-style government.

• Did you notice which tribes were the largest (and thus most influential)?

• Did you notice the diversity of influences from outside of Kenya, especially Asian?

Some notes from the reading.

• Kenya has more than 70 ethnic communities, and close to 80 different language dialects.

• Thus, a key idea is Harambee, or "pulling together."

• Our book estimates the population of Kenya at 46 million, while recent estimates have the population as high as 57 million (United Nations stats), as some even higher.

• 80% of the people live in 20% of the land, primarily in the central highlands and on the coast.

Devotional Thought

Kenya is a most diverse country. The unity placed upon the various ethnic groups has been forced by colonial powers and adopted out of governmental necessity. Kenyans accept the current country structure with grace and hospitality--although not without some conflict and prolonged negotiations in their history (see the Mau Mau Rebellion, for example). For the most part, Kenya has grown economically under the current system. As long as the population continues to benefit from the current system, unity should prevail. This stabilization provides a wonderful context for Gospel communication, and an example of what humility and common values can achieve.

The connective tissue within the culture is possible through communication. Kenyans have a known trade language (Swahili) and an accepted educational language (English) that creates various avenues for communication in their diverse nation. Kenyans are adept at learning multiple languages. Most Kenyans know at least three languages. I have met several Kenyans who know more than 7 spoken languages. The power of language as a unifying factor should not be underestimated.

The Bible reminds us that language is often a reflection of our human ability to get along. Gen 11 shows us just how important language is to cooperation--and also to confusion and conflict. Acts 2 reveals the moment when God provided a spiritual solution for the language issue. The coming of the Holy Spirit is the answer to separation caused by language barriers. When we read Rev 7, we see ultimate outcome of God's plan: to bring all people into one family, praising the name of Jesus and worshipping God as Father. Singing one song implies we all know the lyrics as well as the language. The unity of language is powerful.

 Reflection and Prayer

As we enter into Gospel conversations within our cross-cultural experience, pray for the ability to communicate clearly. Pray for translators as needed. Pray that the Holy Spirit will overcome our cultural and language barriers as we attempt to communicate the good news of Jesus.

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