If there is anything I know from being a part of the Christian faith, there is no one opinion on any subject. Christians come from every imaginable tribe, nation, and language; thus, our views are a just as widely divergent. That does not mean Truth varies, for the Bible is unified in voice and conveyance of God’s will for mankind.
So, what do you do, when you’re sitting in a language class and the teacher is leading a discussion and asks: “Now, Carol, what does the Church do in this situation?”
Or, later, when leading a discussion on whether healing is in the hands of the doctors or if God uses the doctors, and healing is in the hands of God, he turns to you and says, “I’ve asked two Muslims of their opinion, now Carol, what is your opinion on the subject?”
And even in a discussion on the afterlife, after several Europeans said no one knows if there is life after death, he turns to me and asks, “Perhaps you have something to say about this?”
Who am I? The Pope?
But this is what happens when you’re now the minority in class where people are not afraid to talk about any subject in their desire to learn a foreign language. You become the spokesperson for your beliefs, your faith, your denomination, and yes, even the whole of Christendom, because they have no idea what a Christian believes, or the Bible says about such things.
Each time, I tried, with my limited Arabic (remember, I’m still learning how to conjugate verbs here) to convey deep spiritual truth. My answers may not have been long, but I pray they were effective, bad grammar and all.
I do remember for the last question answering that the Bible speaks very clearly about life after death and that man is free to choose whether he will spend eternity in heaven with God or in hell.
It was interesting that I later learned that my Arabic professor’s best friend had converted from Islam to Christianity, so many felt he too was seeking.
Questions in language class can be undercover efforts in seeking the truth.
Whether you’re learning one-on-one with a tutor or in a class setting, don’t be afraid to grab opportunities to expand your vocabulary by asking and answering questions of faith. Truth, even poorly spoken, is still truth and can make the difference in the heart of one who is questioning his own faith and future.
Don’t be afraid to speak for all of Christianity, as long as you are speaking from the Word of God. We may not be the Pope, but we are all Ambassadors for the King of kings — even in language class.
So, bad grammar or not, stand up and speak.
Grace and Peace