Heart Language

The Jewish festival of Pentecost (or Festival of Weeks) was a joyous celebration that drew people of all nations. It was a festival of inclusivity and freedom where people from all sectors of society, especially those on the margins, were brought into the celebration. Jews and Jewish converts from all around the world would come together. God chose this moment to pour out the Holy Spirit on His disciples. God chose this diverse celebration of inclusivity to be the birthday of the Church. It was a declaration that in His new community, everyone has a place to belong.

As the Holy Spirit filled the disciples, they were given the gift of tongues. A crowd came together because each person heard their own language being spoken. God couldn't be clearer, His people will be a people of all nations, of all languages, of all cultures. Throughout history, we have seen time and again the impact of bringing the gospel into people's heart languages. In New Zealand, the early missionaries initially struggled to bring Te Tāngata Whenua (the People of the Land) to faith. They were working hard to teach Māori to read English so they could read the Bible to them but they didn't make any real progress.

Then William Colenso printed the first Māori Bible comprising small portions of Genesis, Exodus, Matthew, and John. It was the first book printed in New Zealand and his 1837 Māori New Testament was the first indigenous language translation of the Bible published in the southern hemisphere. By 1845 over 50% of Māori were attending church services. It made a difference knowing that God spoke their heart language. Hearing God's Word in Te Reo (the Māori language) spoke to them deeper and more powerfully than anything they heard in English could have done.

In a culture shaped by the English language, it's easy to forget that God speaks all of our languages. He speaks your language because He wants to speak to your heart. In the Church, we should never feel ashamed of or restricted by our language. God sees us, He hears us, and He wants us to speak from the heart. This is one of the things that should make the church community so irresistible.

Thought Point

What is the language of your heart? Do you pray in this language, both by yourself and with others?

Prayer Point

Pour out your love and praise to God from your heart in whatever language comes to you, whether it is English, your heart language, or an angelic tongue.