I have a confession to make. Now I know what you are thinking: “Another one?! Common Pastor Brook how many of these do we have to endure?” But, hey. Love is about listening, right? And I’ve heard more than a few of yours, so how about a little compassion? Give me a break?!? And besides Lent is right around the corner, so see this as a practice run before the next 40 days!
My confession is that I am an American. And by this, I mean that I am an American in a good way and a bad way. Let me start with the good. Americans, so people say, are above all practical. We love ideas that work! We love systems that make things happen! And we don’t have much patience for ideas that don’t! If it can make us money… we love it. If it can cut time off of our busy day…sign me up! If it can help me lose weight without too much pain…I’m in. And this goes for theology too. In the end my Christianity has to work. My faith understanding needs to be relevant and it needs to make positive changes in my life. If it doesn’t, I’m out.
(By the way, I didn’t make these up. Richard Rohr shares this in one of his YouTube blogs about the difference between American ways of thinking and Indian ways of thinking. Indians like us because we are practical. And we can learn so much from Indian religions because they are much more grounded in deeper meaning.)
And now for the bad…I’m an American in the sense that I pretty much want people to cater to me and my way of thinking. When I go to another country, for instance, I much prefer a country where they speak English. Languages frustrate me. Can’t everybody just speak the way I speak? I’m not happy about where I’m at on this. In fact, I’m pretty disgusted with myself! Did you know that I never bothered to take any languages in high school and college. Now, in my defense, they weren’t mandatory like they are now. They were optional. And so, I didn’t even think to take them. And when I went to seminary? Guess what, my seminary didn’t require Hebrew or Greek, either! So here I am, almost 62 years old and a total language idiot! If I were to be honest with you other languages scare me.
I remember when I was in seminary I had this friend named Alex who really embraced a ministry he was having with a Hispanic community in West Dallas. And as a part of this ministry, he started to learn Spanish. One night he came home and knocked on my door. As I opened the door he hung his head law and asked humbly, “You got a minute?” I invited him in and Alex shared that he just had one of the most humbling moments of his life. He was doing so good in his Spanish classes that he decided to try a few Spanish phrases out at the church potluck. They were serving the meal family style, so he decided to ask in Spanish, “Please pass the beans?” He said it and no one responded. So, like a typical American he said it again, only louder. Still no response. So like a dummy he said it even louder! Just then a sweet little girl touched his arm and said, “Pastor Alex, why do you keep calling all of us homosexuals!” Then, the whole room erupted in laughter! Poor Alex went home with his head on the floor. He thought he knew so much, and yet he knew so little.
And that is my big fear, I think. There is no way you can learn a language without making a fool of yourself. And even though I pretend to do that regularly, I don’t really enjoy the process. And now comes the kicker. Guess what? My oldest son, Ben, is getting married in November! I know cool right! And even cooler, his fiancé is amazing and lives in South Korea! And even more exciting, Ben and Jeuen have asked me to officiate at the wedding!!! And now the kicker…they would like me to say the blessing in Korean!!!
Do they know me? I was talking to Ben a couple of years ago and he was sharing that Korean can be a very complex language to speak because it’s not just how you pronounce something that matters. In Korean the tone and pitch in which you say something make a big difference. You can say the right words and it may mean “awesome” and then you can same those same words and change the pitch and tone and it will mean “idiot!” Tone and pitch matter!
Can you imagine me at that wedding saying the right words with the wrong intonation? I sure can! It’s why I’m not sleeping as of late!
Actually, I’m really embracing this! I think it’s a great challenge. It’s a way for me to get out of my American sand box and learn to play in a world full of all sorts of sandboxes that play in a totally different way. And as hard as it is for me…I know it’s probably one of the best things for me.
So, dear God, help me be humble. Give me an open heart in which I might learn not only a new way of speaking and understanding, but maybe even a new way of relating to others.
Your friend and pastor, signing off with “Anyoungeekaysayo” which is (I hope) the correct Korean pronunciation of “goodbye”, Brook
PS: If you ever want to learn another language, I recommend a course called “Pimsleur”. They have a great phone App, but you can also get the audio tapes at the public library for free!