Lengua Materna, the mother tongue or primary language. Learned from the world around us, the words spoken in our homes, schools, neighborhoods, and play groups as children, the words resound in our minds and imprint themselves. Slowly, we develop linguistic skills and they become our mother tongue. I remember taking Spanish in high school and besides a few verb conjugations, I can’t say that it stuck. My mother tongue is English.
But should it be?
Shouldn’t my mother tongue, my lengua materna, be to love the people around me?
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
That is some language, one of patience, kindness, broader sight to help understand the other. Truthful, forgiving, protecting of the relationship, building trust, these are all qualities found in real love.
We are told that we must love our neighbor. By this definition, my lengua materna must be one of careful words, working to let God guide and guard my heart, mind, and tongue. It must also be of careful actions, following God’s direction in reaching with my hands, stepping out with my feet.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Happy Valentine’s Day
No comments:
Post a Comment