The Two Universal Languages

Have you ever wanted to learn a second language?  Perhaps you, like me, have a “lightly used” language app on your phone and every New Years you think, “This is the year I will learn…(fill in the blank).” Languages are difficult for most people, and it has divided the world ever since the tower of Babel in Genesis 11.

I have spent a significant amount of time overseas in the last 30 years of ministry serving, building, and sharing Jesus with others. Following Christ’s command to ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19), I have lead trips of fellow Christ followers working with churches, orphanages, schools, and businesses in Africa (Rwanda, Togo, and Egypt), Latin America (Belize, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Haiti), the MIddle East (UAE, Israel), Southeast Asia (Vietnam) and Europe (Belgium).

In many of these places, whether we were teaching the Bible, digging wells, building churches, creating fish farms, starting business, or encouraging pastors and missionaries, often the language barrier would have to be overcome. There was great desire and need to communicate, but unless there was a translator, we were left to use hand gestures and body language.

There were two activities that never once needed translation in any country, no matter the language or culture:

Soccer, and acts of love and charity! 

I want to use the first universal language, soccer, to illustrate the second one, love. (Yes, this is a hat tip to the World Cup that started yesterday!)

I started playing soccer very young and grew to love to sport in the 1970s when most folks in the U.S. didn’t know much about it. God has used this love of soccer, both in other countries and in the U.S., to build relationships, many times across language barriers. Sometimes we would put on soccer camps with children in these countries (pictured below, in Rwanda); other times we would do entire youth leagues here at home (Pictured below, in Virginia) among marginalized kids who didn’t have the opportunity, motivation, or supervision to play in city leagues.

No matter what country I found myself, I often enjoyed stepping away and find a ‘pick up’ game of soccer somewhere.  Overseas, soccer fields spring up on level areas of ground in every country no matter how poor or rich.  Young men would gather there to play after work.  When I showed up to play, at first I was a curiosity – an American walking up to a group of friends and asking to play soccer.  When the game started, usually they were surprised that I could keep up.  Then it became a challenge to either make the American look bad, or graciously pass me the ball to see what I could do.  I never was the best player on the field, often making mistakes, but by the end of the match I was hugging fellow footballers and sometimes getting invited to dinner.  I may have only spoke a couple of words of their language, but the universal language of sport did the rest. Here are two examples of these pick up games in Haiti (below) and Vietnam.

The universal language of LOVE is another opportunity to speak to strangers without words.  Small gestures of charity like opening a door for someone, giving them room in traffic, or giving someone an unexpected gift, is a universal language that crosses all languages, cultures, and experiences. The universal language of love does two things: it expresses value to another person made in God’s image (Gen 3, Col. 3:10), and puts other’s needs before you own (Phil. 2:3) keeping us humble.

Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for a friend (John 15:13).  Jesus literally laid his life down, of course, giving us life both now and eternal (1 Peter 3:18).  Not many of us will ever lay our life down for someone in the literal sense, but we all can speak the language of love, daily laying our lives down in small ways.  Whether it is laying your life down for your spouse, children, friend, or a stranger, putting self 2nd is a healthy, Biblical, and Godly exercise whenever a chance arises.

Jesus tells His disciples to “take up our cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24) He didn’t literally think all of us would be crucified (although some disciples were), but we need to ‘die to ourselves’ in order to live in Him and love through Him.  If SELF is in the way it blocks the ability to love freely.

We will see the universal language of the sport of soccer played out every day for the next 40 days all over North America in the World Cup. Keep in mind the huge amount of languages being spoke both on the field and in the stadium, yet they all come together.  Whether you are a soccer fan or not, whenever you see the commercials or watch the games, ask yourself, “How can I speak the universal language of love to a family member, a friend, or a stranger today?”

As we answer that question we make room to put others before ourselves and we will reflect the love God has shown us to others.  Whether they speak our language or not, the message will be heard loud and clear.

Blessings and peace,

Rev. Todd