FROM THE CHURCH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 94, 11 September 1950, Page 3

FROM THE CHURCH

St John’s Methodist UNIVERSAL LANGUAGES Speaking last night in the St. John’s Methodist Church, the Rev. Wm. C. Jenkin on Genesis 11-1 said, it was a language all could use and all could' understand. But this happy condition of linguistic facility was soon to end; for in the verse immediately following we have the story of its breakdown, the story of the introduction of the diversity of tongues. There is something very appealing in this idea of a universal language. Men have sought this in their attempt to unitversalise language in the terms of Esperanto, but as yet, without complete and universal success. Are there not however universal languages in other realms of communication? We think there are, and would like to draw attention to them.

1. There is the language of a common experience. What people, what tribe, what nationality, what class or condition is there that are Foreigners to the language of pain or sorrow? There are universal terms capable of universal interpretation because of universal understanding and knowledge. Take some other terms in human life—struggle, disappointment and defeat, bereavement and loss; or on the other hand the joy of life and its inspirations, its victories and its achievements. And out of this Cosmopolitan language is coined the further language of a common kinship and sympathy, so that, having learned it, they are able to communicate with those, who, in the same school, have also learned it. That is why Jesus so knows the language of sympathy. That is why “He is not an High Priest, who cannot be touched with the feeling of our informities.” 2. There is a universal speech in the terms of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is God’s great message to the nations to all sorts and conditions of men, and this universality has been proved by ■ the universality of its reception. The Gospel has been as of one speech to all the people of the world, capable of universal application because of universal interpretation. From all over J the world comes the same cry: ‘Sirs, we would see Jesus.’ 3. Our text finds a further illustration in the message of the Cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What a wonderful story that is, the story of the power and influence of the Cross of the/ Lord Jesus Christ. How its speech has been understood, not by one nation only, but by all nations. We have here a representation of the appeal of a suffering sympathy and of a redeeming love that could go to the length of a Cross, in order to save, to redeem, to uplift and to receive even to the uttermost and men have recognised, in it that which has touched their deepest needs. This language of the Cross has been, as it were, one language and one speech, understood the wide world o’er.