Love in Any Language Fluently Spoken Here

This “Love” and “Heart” art were displayed outside the gift shop at our hotel in Cabo. I knew a blog would be forthcoming when I snapped this photo. Please forgive me for yet another blog that was inspired from our trip. I thank God for so much content!

I remember my husband, myself and our two young children (ages 6 and 8) taking eighteen Bible school students from our Bible college in Oklahoma on a missions trip to a Bible school in Mexico. Language barriers. Yes. Love barriers. No. I realized that the most when I witnessed my two children playing games with Mexican children and somehow, they were communicating and loving each other. It was the same for the students. We thought we were going there to bless the Mexican people, but as it turned out, we were the ones who were blessed the most. “Love” is what was spoken without words. It was beautiful.

I was reminded of that missions’ trip when I saw our majordomo’s assistant, Ross, playing chess with my grandson. That came about because the boys and I went to a flea market to see if we could “wheel and deal” for bargains. We love that experience. This day Brennan, who is a tournament chess player, bought a unique chess set. Back at our villa, Ross saw the chess set and in his few words of English, shared that he plays chess. Later that day I saw him and Brennan, my grandson, playing. No words spoken, but laughter, intense pondering and shaking hands at the end assured me that love was spoken there.

Dionne Warwick sang “What the world needs now is love sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of” and it is so true. If only we lived that way – the Gospel way. The Jesus way – of laying down His life for even those who despised and rejected Him. The love Jesus spoke of: “Love God first, and second, love your neighbors as you love yourself.”

While watching two young men playing chess, I kept hearing these words in my mind: “Love in any language fluently spoken here.” I googled those words and found they were lyrics from a song sung by Sandi Patty. Those words convey my message of love for us today:
“Je t’aime / Te amo / Aishiteru / Ani ohevet othka / I love you /
The sounds are all as different as the lands from which they came /
And though our words are all unique / Our hearts are still the same /
Love in any language, straight from the heart / Pulls us all together, never apart /
And once we learn to speak it / all the world will hear / Love in any language, fluently spoken here

We teach the young our differences / Yet look how we’re the same
We love to laugh, to dream our dreams / We know the sting of pain
From Leningrad to Lexington / The farmer loves his land /
And daddies all get misty-eyed / To give their daughter’s hand /
Oh, maybe when we realize / How much there is to share /
We’ll find too much in common / To pretend it isn’t there /
Though the rhetoric of government / May keep us worlds apart /
There’s no misinterpreting / The language of the heart /
Love in any language, straight from the heart / Pulls us all together, never apart /
And once we learn to speak it, all the world will hear / Love in any language, fluently spoken here.”

The story about Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman is about how a religiously ostracized, and culturally despised group came to belief in Jesus. While it may be interesting to talk about the woman’s irregular life or about Jesus’ relations with women, it misses the point. It was the fluent message of love that broke down all the barriers and boundaries. And, that is the fluent language of love He asks for us to give – no matter what. No matter who!