Even when we are part of a culture that is heavily shaped by a certain language and mindset, the presence of another language in our midst helps remind us that there more than one way to view reality. The person who speaks English and has never heard a word from another language perceives reality to be enclosed within the framework of his own language. But even if s/he only hears an occasional foreign word, s/he is confronted with the fact that there is a greater reality out there than s/he has known.
Note how the presence of the language of faith in the midst of our world has often shaped a person’s views of reality. Many of our grandparents read the psalms on a regular basis and therefore knew of a different world beyond themselves. People who regularly hear the language that speaks of love of enemy are given a wider perspective when they speak of their opposition in a corporate board room or in a political contest.
Even within religion, we need those who speak a different language. The prophets spoke in a patriarchal world which normally referred to God as masculine but occasionally they used a feminine image for God which left an opening to a greater understanding. Each discordant note is a reminder that we are only one part of a varied world rather than the center of that reality.
