Have you ever tried to learn a new language? Whether you learn it from books, a teacher or from informal conversation...learning a new language is difficult. It is made more difficult when you learn it at a later age and stage in life. We become so comfortable with our mother-tongue that we have these mental barriers to learning a new language.
I have had the opportunity to study Latin, Spanish, Greek, and Hebrew in some capacity throughout high school and college. I have never mastered any of them. There are a couple of other languages where I can order a meal or say hello or goodbye, but that is about it. I would love to be fluent in second language, but I am not totally sure I am fluent in English - I am a Southerner after all.
One language that I really desire to have a fluency in is the "language of our faith." That is what we are studying as we study Scripture together in community. We are learning the language of our faith and we are hearing a God who is fluent in this language tell us "I love you" over and over again. When we read the Old and New Testament we are gaining fluency with this language. However, the language of our faith is not something to master, but instead is something that will wash over us and remind us of who we are and to whom we belong.
I cherish the opportunity to walk alongside other learners in this journey to develop fluency in the language of our faith. As you read Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as you read the poetry of the Psalms, as you pray these texts again, for the first time, may you hear the words of God in the Word of God..."I am your God, and you are mine."
Grace and Peace,
Michael