So as it turns out, perfect pronunciation of a language you don't know, doesn't get you very far. I gazed at the depths of the gigantic copier's touch screen and said "Ach, schplug." It seemed to squint back, "Stupid American."
Stumbling back to the computer for the fifteenth time, I attempted to change some settings on the also completely German control panel. "Well, 'papierstau' definitely seems to mean 'paper jam'...And 'automatische' this machine is not." I muttered aloud. A co-worker came over and began to use his force upon our obvious immigrant. Running through my mind and soon out my mouth were German songs from highschool.
"Do you know what you're singing?" He asked from the depths of a jammed-up paper tray.
"Of course." I replied proudly.
"Then can you please just read the manual, here?"
"Of course." I picked up the manual and began to read aloud, probably this, "Dieser Drucker wurde hergestellt Europa. Hergestellt in einem abgelegenen Ort, an dem jeder spricht zehn Sprachen, du dummer Amerikaner."
"And what does that mean?" He asked, rather perplexed.
"I don't know, really. But it sounds nice."
We eventually did conquer the printer, language aside, but it got me thinking.
Do you know the language of religion without knowing what it really means? Can you pronounce every thing just so and say just the right-sounding things, without truly knowing the reality of Jesus Christ? It seems like a rather obviously stupid thing to do, but so very common. You pick up the "manual" on Sunday and read some lines carefully as people listen, then walk into Monday speaking a different life language. What are you really doing?
It might be time to actually learn the language if you're going to live there. Pretending fools no one...but yourself. We must live our lives as meant to be lived. Jesus means business and we should get down to it.
Proverbs 9:12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.
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