Take and Eat

It is the beginning of January, which means starting my Chronological Bible once again.  For two glorious chapters, we have the story of how "in the beginning, God created heaven and earth" (Genesis 1:1).  Everything good and perfect. 

Just two short chapters and then it all falls apart.  I’m not really sure how many times I have read these chapters.  The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.  Today the Holy Spirit challenged me in new ways with this familiar story.     

Genesis 3:1:  “Did God really say…?”  The serpent starts off with a question intended to plant doubt.  He’s implying that God has placed them in the Garden and left them with no food.  That God is not looking out for them.  That He is not loving or trust-worthy.  That He put all this temptation around them and cruelly expects them to starve to death surrounded by food. 

This is still Satan’s ‘modus operandi’ - God is holding back, keeping you from enjoying all the good things of life.  He can’t be trusted to take care of you so you’ve got to take care of yourself.

At that point, Eve should have exercised her authority and told the serpent to be quiet.  After all, God had given Adam and Eve dominion over all creatures, including over every ‘creeping thing’ (1:26). 

But, instead of exercising that control, Eve chose to allow the creature to control her.  How often do I allow the things of life to control me, instead of the other way around?

Instead of walking away, Eve takes the bait.  At first she seems to be trying to stick up for God.  She tells the serpent that God said they couldn’t eat of just the one tree. 

But then she puts additional words in God’s mouth:  “neither shall you touch it” (3:3).  Looking back, however, that’s not completely true.  While God did tell them not to eat of it (2:17), she’s added an additional restriction. 

It’s as if she’s starting to buy into the serpent’s view of God as not having her best interest at heart.  She’s making God unreasonable, already mentally justifying her disobedience.  How often do I add to God’s good rules, turning them into something restrictive instead of loving?

The serpent keeps pushing.  That tree will make you like God.  God doesn’t want that.  Why not?  Could it be He’s worried that you’ll become more powerful, more wise? 

The truth is, Eve was already “like God” (3:5).  God had created Adam and Eve in His own image (1:27).  She didn’t need to take anything in to become what God had placed in her.  How often do I look to outward sources to fulfill what God alone has already provided? 

The seed planted, Eve now looks at the tree in a new way.  Suddenly she notices how lovely it is.  How good the fruit is.  She sees it as the source of wisdom and of making up what is lacking due to God’s neglect.  And so, “she took of its fruit and ate” (3:6).  Instead of life and wisdom, her act of rebellion brought death and despair. 

Today, we are invited to ‘take and eat’, but not of part of creation.  Instead, we are invited to ‘take and eat’ of the Creator Himself, the very One against whom we rebelled. 

Our first parents condemned us all to death, but in His love and grace and power, God did not leave us where we deserved to be.  Jesus came and became the sacrifice that brought life from death, reversing the curse.  Through His obedience, Jesus crushed the serpent’s head and was given all authority in heaven and on earth. 

I know that there will be times in the new year when I will be tempted to doubt.  When life will seem too difficult and it will be easy to fall to temptation.  Satan is a brutal enemy, and will attack when I am vulnerable. 

In those moments, I pray I will remember this story and the insights the Holy Spirit has given me.  That I will choose to live in the truth of the Resurrected Christ, not in the squished remains of a crafty, and ultimately dead, liar.

A Dose of Vitamin D-R

I took a quick trip to the DR.  Only 4 full days.  I went at Carlos' encouragement.  I really think you need to spend time in Mata de Platano.  You can visit our family and see friends and rest where you feel the most relaxed.  He was excited for me.

Me?  It may sound crazy, but I wasn't sure I wanted to go.  I know, right?  Sunshine and warm weather when we'd had snow and cold?  What was my problem? 

The truth is, I was worried.  Worried that after four months I wouldn't be able to communicate, or drive, and worse, that I would realize this place that had been home was now just a place I had spent some time a while back. 


El Buen Samaritano

Happily, using Spanish each day at the Free Clinic has helped me maintain, and I had (nearly) no trouble communicating.  Being able to worship again with our El Buen Samaritano family and sing praise in Spanish was awesome.

Driving is definitely not one of my favorite parts of there, but it was okay.

Time reconnecting with friends and family was incredible.  Even though time has passed, we were able to pick right back up.  It was wonderful to encourage and be encouraged.  To hear - and see! - how God is working in their lives.  

Are you drooling?  So, so good!!

There's something about being in the same space that feeds the soul.  Being physically present with loved ones who love Jesus.  After all, He came to be God-with-us.  And in that, was healing I needed. 

Through no one's fault, my final weeks in the DR had been frenzied, and I slammed back into the US still careening.  I kept going because that's how I cope. 

I accepted the feeling of having left part of me behind.  That as I went, all of my heart did not.  I always thought of it as a necessary, well maybe not evil, but a necessity.  Just a part of moving from here to there, especially cross-culturally.  That somehow I was never fully whole anywhere.

Some of our family

What God lovingly showed me on this trip was that I am not walking around with only a tiny part of my heart, the rest of it stranded in the various places I've passed time.  Instead, I am blessed to carry along with me parts of many places. 

God invited me to see my heart as larger, not smaller.  That I don't need to carefully guard the sliver left, but instead can love more deeply because it has been stretched.

The guys playing Dominos, of course!

I'm sure there will still be times that it hurts.  Missing people I love is a reality.  But, it's a blessing to have people to miss.  To have women in my life who speak different languages and live in different places and yet bless me by calling me sister.  I'm so thankful the Holy Spirit prompted Carlos. 

With my sister Margot and Mami

Even though I didn't get to see everyone I might have wanted, I now look forward to whenever the next time comes.  And, I look forward to continuing to learn how to love well here in Harrisonburg.

Oh, and the most fun?  Bringing Carlos some of the locrio (yummy Dominican chicken and rice dish) that Margot made.  Including the 'patas' (feet) which are his favorite part.  I was thrilled that it made it all the way home and still tasted delicious!

Carlos & a Pata

Confident Interpreting

“Tell him I don’t bite.”  I was interpreting for a doctor, and he wanted to reassure the anxious patient that there was nothing to be afraid of. 

I hesitated.  The patient was from a Central American country, and I wasn’t sure she would understand.  Did they use that phrase where she was from?  Would it help assure her, or make her even more worried, wondering why the doctor was talking about biting? 

Interpretation is more of an art than a science at times.  Ideally, you interpret word-for-word, carefully keeping your own ideas and opinions in check.  However, there are many occasions when word-for-word does not work. 

First of all, there aren’t always exact translations.  Even when they are, they don’t always make sense.  I experienced that trying to interpret Dominican slang and phrases and it’s the same in English.  Different areas have different idioms which can be baffling to an outsider.

As I wrote about last time, we cannot be selective in the parts of the Gospel we share.  On the other hand, we cannot assume that all non-Christians have the same ‘language’, the same way of seeing things.  We cannot expect the way Jesus met us is the only way He will meet someone else.  Instead, I believe it is both necessary and biblical to adapt the presentation of the truth depending on the hearer.  Not the truth itself, but the presentation. 

Jesus was inconsistently consistent.  His purpose was to do His Father’s will, bringing Him glory.  That didn’t change, but how He did it, did.  With a broken woman caught in adultery, He was gentle.  With puffed up religious leaders who thought they had it all figured out, He was quite harsh.  Paul, too, used different approaches to share the same truth, depending on who he was speaking with.    

I am certainly not Jesus, and not Paul, either.  How can I possibly presume to share the Gospel?  How can I know I’m not going to mess it up, freaking the person out with words that are more threatening than hopeful?   

Since I knew what the doctor was trying to convey, I could find another way to say it.  If I hadn’t, I would have been lost.  Do I know the message of the Bible?  Is it a part of me?  In order to share hope in an increasingly hope-less world, I need to know what that hope is.  I need to know Who it is. 

I think the reason we sometimes struggle when sharing our faith is that we’re not completely clear ourselves.  We, too, get confused by certain things in the Bible.  We, too, question the seeming paradox of God being just and being loving. 

I think this is okay, and that God meets us right where we are.  The problem is, we can become lazy, content to just stick with what we presently know. 

A good interpreter continues to study the language, continues to learn.  Not content with their present level of competence, they challenge themselves to do better. 

Is this how I approach my faith?  Do I continue to go to the Bible, wrestling with parts I don’t understand?  Do I seek to learn more about God and His character?  Is there a ‘holy discontent’ in me, desiring an ever-deepening relationship with my Savior?

The more Spanish I learn, the more I want to use it.  Interpreting becomes less of a struggle as I gain confidence and competence.  I am more able to adjust, more able to get at the heart of what is being said.  It is worth all the struggle of language learning to watch a connection happen.

The more I learn about God, His plans, His character, the more I want to share Him.  I lose my fear that I'll do it wrong, since I know that His living word is in me, and will guide me.  At times the learning is difficult, but knowing I am able to be a part of that life-giving connection makes it worth it.  What a joy!

Selective Interpreting

Part of interpreting is having to say things that may be hard or unpleasant.  As most of you know, I work at a Free Clinic which serves uninsured adults with chronic conditions.  We have many patients who speak languages other than English, and depend on our interpreters to accurately translate what is said.

What would happen if the doctor told someone, “You must quit smoking and lose 100 pounds or you will continue to get worse to the point of death” but the interpreter felt that was too harsh?  Would it be helpful to say, “The doctor says you should lose 10 pounds to feel better”? 

What if a doctor told a patient, “You have diabetes and must start using insulin” but the interpreter didn’t want to upset her so said “The doctor says you need to cut back on sugary snacks”?  Would that be okay?  The patient would leave thinking everything was great… until she was rushed to the Emergency Room in crisis. 

Sometimes what God reveals to a person is unpleasant to hear.  Sin is ugly and being convicted of it doesn’t feel good.  At times we are tempted to kind of skip over that part.  To act as if God is just loving and that sin isn’t nearly the problem people make it out to be.  To point only to scripture that supports this view, and tell them not to worry about those parts of the Bible that are hard to understand.

But that is like telling a diabetic that skipping dessert is all she needs to do to be healthy.  I ask again, when I do that, am I actually hindering a genuine, life-giving connection?  It is not up to me to make God’s words nice and easy to swallow.  Because, while some of God’s words are difficult, they are necessary for life.

Although they don’t always like to hear it, the majority of patients are grateful to be told the truth.  Because along with the diagnosis, comes a treatment plan.  Concrete steps they can take like diet, exercise, medicines. 

Of course, we need to understand that immediately changing everything may be too much.  So, while the ultimate goal is cutting out all soda, our treatment plan may start with smaller steps.  Switching first to diet soda, or drinking one less a day for the first month. 

It is not easy to break old habits.  The patient will not always be compliant.  There are good weeks and bad weeks.  But, the ultimate goal, being healthy, needs to stay in front of her.  It would be immoral to tell her, “Well, it’s too hard, so just don’t worry about it.”

So, too, with the Gospel.  We don’t ignore the truth, which is that apart from faith in Jesus Christ, we are all condemned to die.  But, we do understand that, especially in those early days, the newness of it all can be overwhelming.  And this is where discipleship comes in.  Coming alongside someone, encouraging them as they begin to walk in step with Jesus. 

The Great Commission tells us to make disciples, teaching everything that Jesus commanded.  Everything.  We do no one any favors by selectively interpreting a medical diagnosis.  We want the person to become healthier, and that means telling them what the doctor says.  We want people to enter into a life-saving, life-giving relationship with God.  No selective interpreting here, either. 

First Person Interpreting

On Monday evening I helped interpret for Parent-Teacher conferences.  In our training we were told to use the first person.  Not ‘my’ first person, but that of the other two.  We were not to say, “Her name is Miss Smith”, but “Hello, my name is Miss Smith”.  Not, “Yes, she understands” but “Yes, I understand.”  

This was something I had already learned to do when I was in the DR. While interpreting for Daisy, I noticed a difference when I would say, “Her name is Daisy and she has three children” and when I said, “My name is Daisy, and I have three children”. 

Using the first person pulled people into her testimony.  When I used “she” and “her”, the focus remained on me, which undermined the purpose of interpreting – facilitating a connection between the two of them. 

When we share the Good News of Jesus with someone unfamiliar with it, we are, in a sense, interpreting for God.  Almighty, all-powerful, the One who swears by His own name.  If I really think about it, it is preposterous that finite, broken, human me is even attempting it!  We are, in fact, interpreting for the first ‘first person’.  Hello, My name is I AM who I AM (Exodus 3:14).

This is no small thing!  And so, I need to ask myself, am I interpreting in the first person?  When I finished interpreting for Daisy, the students felt they knew her better.  There was time later for them to get to know me, but my purpose was their connection.  I loved how, afterward, the students would be more comfortable approaching Daisy, attempting to talk with her without my help, despite the language barrier.

When I share Jesus, do I spend more time on my story, my perspective, my opinions than on showing the other person what God Himself is saying through His word?  At the end of it, do they know Him better?  Are they more comfortable approaching Him or are they always waiting for me to make it happen?

Now, I’m not saying it is wrong to share my testimony with someone!  Or, to help answer questions or walk with another as they begin a relationship with Jesus.  We are called to make disciples and that is a part of it. 

We can never forget, however, that the focus of discipleship is becoming like who we are following.  If we spend more time sharing ourselves than Jesus, who do we expect the new believer will look like?  If we don’t continually go back to I AM, interpreting in the first person, we risk undermining the very connection we desire for them.

Of course, as always, I can only take this so far, because God does more than just sit there waiting for me to correctly interpret for Him.  The Holy Spirit is fluent in ‘human’, interceding for us with groans that words cannot express (Romans 8:26).  God always acts first, drawing us to Himself before we realize we need Him.

Friends, we need to teach new believers (and not so new believers) how to study the Bible.  It is there God has chosen to reveal His character.  In its pages we learn of His love and power, His story of glory and salvation.  Nothing a human has to say is more compelling than God's own words revealed in the Bible. 

Too often we act as if starting with other books or commentaries is a better way.  Kind of ease them into the Bible.  But, that is not interpreting in the first person, and actually hinders the very connection we are trying to facilitate. 

Let’s be confident that when the focus of our interpreting is Jesus and not ourselves, there will be a life-giving, personal connection.  That using His very words, given to us through scripture, is the way to transformation.  I AM who I AM has promised it, and He is faithful.   

The Rhythm of Interpreting

The first time I interpret for a new person is always difficult.  Not knowing the rhythms, their accent, or style of speaking.  Not knowing what they are going to say, what types of words they use. 

Just not knowing them, makes it hard.  The flow is simply not there, and it can feel stilted and restrictive.  I’ve seen even very experienced interpreters struggle when translating for someone they’ve never met.

My favorite person to interpret for is Daisy.  Part of that is because she has beautiful Spanish.  She speaks clearly, pronouncing words perfectly.  No slang or cut off endings.  Beyond that, though, I love interpreting for her because I love her. 

The first time I interpreted for her, it wasn’t super easy.  I got through it, but struggled at times.  I was fresh from language school, still adjusting to life in the DR. 

When I had been in El Callejon before, it had been for two two-week trips, and while I had learned some Spanish by the second one, I was hardly conversant.  Now, I was back full-time, and we needed to learn how to work together.   

This meant spending time together.  Daisy’s English was good enough that I could have taken the easy way out and she would have understood.  But, that would never have moved our relationship past the surface.  So, with help when I got stuck, we spoke Spanish. 

And, a wonderful thing happened.  The more time I spent with Daisy, the easier communicating became.  Our conversation moved from simple statements about what we needed to do, to more complex and deep talks about faith, relationships, and emotions. 

We didn’t just talk about the Site, but about what was happening in our homes.  As I Thessalonians 2:8 says, we shared our very lives and became ‘dear’ to each other.

As we labored together, striving to show the light of Jesus in El Callejon, interpreting got easier.  Daisy knew exactly how long she could talk before she needed to stop and let me translate.  After two years of sharing it, I learned her testimony so well I almost didn’t need her there! 

It was fun, and at times very moving, to watch the students listen to Daisy’s testimony.  To hear her story and get encouragement from what she had gone through.  For them to talk about how amazing she was. 

Sometimes one of them would thank me for interpreting, but most of the time, it was as if I wasn’t even there.  Which was exactly how it needed to be for them to connect.

As I think about sharing Jesus with others, is it a task, or a joy?  Is it something I desire, or is it stilted and a struggle?  Because, if I’m just sharing an idea or notion or concept, it’s not going to flow well.  If Jesus is a relative stranger to me, I cannot expect to know the words He will use, or get the rhythm. 

The goal and purpose of interpreting is to allow the parties to make a connection.  That’s the case whether for another person, or in sharing Jesus.  But to share it, I first need to have it.

Before I can share Jesus well, I need to know Him well.  And, like with Daisy, that means spending time together.  Not just when I need something from Him, or during church.  I need to ‘hang out’ in the day-to-day and sometimes mundane of living my life. To dive into the Bible to learn what makes Him happy, what grieves Him, to learn His rhythms and words. 

My connection with Jesus is what helps me to share Him.  As John 15 says, we need to abide in Jesus, and have Him abide in us.  It is through this abiding that we learn to know His story better.  Learn to know Him.  Learn to love Him. 

I’m not there yet, but as I grow to love Jesus more, I pray that I will also love to share Him more.  That my love for Him will transform sharing Him into pure joy as I watch others learning to walk in His rhythm as they connect with Him, too.

Interpreting from Behind

Since coming back to the US, one of the things I’m becoming even more fascinated with is interpreting.  Being exposed to medical terms I’ve never learned has been humbling.  Starting to recognize accents from different countries has been fun. 

As most things do, it has also got me thinking about my faith.  I started writing a single blog post but there’s just too much.  So, I’m going to do a kind of ‘series’ on it.  Here’s the first one:

Carlos and I went to an interpreter training for helping with parent-teacher conferences.  After talking about the do’s and don’ts and general good practices of interpreting, the instructor told us we were going to give it a try. 

She had a row of three chairs up front, and asked for three volunteers.  Mom, Interpreter, Teacher.  “Where should each one sit?”  The class agreed that Mom was on the left, Interpreter in the middle, Teacher on the right. 

“Okay, let’s get started.”  Teacher said “Hello” to Interpreter, who turned and said “Hola” to Mom.  Mom said “Hola”, and Interpreter turned and said “Hello” to Teacher. 

On it went, with the two talking to the Interpreter, and hardly looking at each other.  “What’s wrong with this?” the Instructor asked us.  The class could easily see the problem - Mom and Teacher are not talking to each other. 

“Exactly.  Okay, let’s try a triangle.”  The chairs were rearranged, and they started again.  But, again, the two spoke to the Interpreter, not engaging each other. 

“So, what do we do?”  The Instructor had them stand up and rearranged the chairs one last time.  The Mom and Teacher chairs were face-to-face, with the Interpreter’s beside and slightly behind the Parent. 

At first it was a little awkward, and Mom wanted to turn and look at Interpreter.  But, as Interpreter continued to encourage Mom to look at Teacher, it became more natural.  Looking at each other, they began to actually talk to each other.  The Interpreter became a conduit, not the focus of the conversation. 

A successful interpreter is one who becomes practically invisible with the two parties feeling like they have communicated on their own.  In an ideal world, where interpreters are perfectly competent, one could walk away and another sit down without the connection between Mom and Teacher ever being broken.  (Hey, we can dream of getting that good!)

It made me think about my role in sharing Jesus Christ.  Obviously, it is not a perfect analogy!  But, it does help me put things in perspective.  Where do I position myself?  Do I keep myself in the middle, encouraging the person to use me as the go-between?  Or, am I willing to pull back, getting myself out of the way?

It takes some effort and intentionality to learn to interpret from behind.  To be invisible.  But, if I don’t, have I truly fulfilled my role?  Have I been successful?  If, at the end, they are still only looking at me, have they actually communicated?

Success in the Christian life is marked by becoming less so that Jesus becomes more.  As John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).  Doing so takes effort and intentionality but that’s what it’s all about.  To see that life-giving, life-changing connection happen when someone encounters Jesus Christ. 

To be a part of this is a tremendous privilege and responsibility.  It is to be my life's work.  And, to do it from behind, so it is only and ever about Him.