our daily bread

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Dexu Xia

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May 1, 2017, 4:01:54 AM5/1/17

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Learning the Language

As I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Acts 17:23

I stood before the gathering at a small Jamaican church and said in my best local dialect, “Wah Gwan, Jamaica?” The reaction was better than I expected, as smiles and applause greeted me.

In reality, all I had said was the standard greeting, “What’s going on?” in Patois [pa-twa], but to their ears I was saying, “I care enough to speak your language.” Of course I did not yet know enough Patois to continue, but a door had been opened.

When the apostle Paul stood before the people of Athens, he let them know that he knew their culture. He told them that he had noticed their altar to “an unknown god,” and he quoted one of their poets. Of course, not everyone believed Paul’s message about Jesus’s resurrection, but some said, “We want to hear you again on this subject” (Acts 17:32).

As we interact with others about Jesus and the salvation He offers, the lessons of Scripture show us to invest ourselves in others—to learn their language, as it were—as a way to open the door to telling them the good news (see also 1 Cor. 9:20–23).

As we find out “Wah Gwan?” in others’ lives, it will be easier to share what God has done in ours.

Show us, Lord, what is important to others. Help us to think of their interests first, and allow opportunities to speak about the love of Jesus.

Before you tell others about Christ, let them see how much you care.

学习语言

我游行的时候，观看你们所敬拜的，遇见一座坛，上面写着“未识之神”。-使徒行传17章23节

在一间牙买加的小教堂中，我站在会众面前，尽我所能以当地的方言向大家问安：“哇关，牙买加？”回应比我预期的好，会众都报以微笑以及热烈的掌声。

实际上，我说的只不过是一句牙买加方言常用的问候语：“你好吗？”但在他们耳中听到的却是：“我很在乎你，所以我要说你的语言。”当然，我会的牙买加方言十分有限，但一扇门已就此打开。

当使徒保罗站在雅典人的面前时，他让他们知道自己明白雅典人的文化。保罗告诉他们自己注意到他们的祭坛上有位“未识之神”，而且还引用他们的诗人所写的话。当然，保罗过后传讲关于耶稣复活的信息，不是每个人都相信，但有些人说：“我们再听你讲这个吧！”（使徒行传17章32节）。

圣经教导我们，当我们向人传讲耶稣和祂所赐的救恩时，找到他们所在乎的事，就如同开启了传福音的一扇门（参阅哥林多前书9章20-23节），学习他们的语言就是很好的例子。

当我们能够以对方的语言，或所在乎的事作为切入点，将更容易与人分享上帝为我们成就的一切。

主，求祢让我们看见，他人重视的是什么。
求祢使我们能优先考虑让别人得益处，
好让我们有机会能述说耶稣的爱。