The English Tourist Abroad
July 16th 2009 09:49
The other day I posed the question here, why doesn't the English Tourist Abroad, generally speaking, ever learn a few words or phrases of the country he or she is about to visit? I also wondered if this was true of tourists from other English speaking nations? So far no response to that one so we must wait with bated breath, although there have been urban myths of Americans walking into stores in the UK and being surprised when they can't buy the goods they want with dollars!!
Visiting the Greek mainland a few years ago I was surprised to see the road signs bi-lingual-in Greek and English-no, not a transliteration of the Greek letters into Latin letters, but a translation of the sign from one language to another. Why English? I mean Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania all border on to Greece, Italy is only a ferry trip away, so why English? Perhaps the Greeks realise that English people can't be bothered to learn their language and being the Cradle of Civilization, courteously translate the road signs for us Northern Barbarians, who knows?
Which brings me to the subject matter of this blog-the Language that Christians speak. By now you will have realised that I am one with C S Lewis when he deplored all the rivalry between Christian groups, making the point the Catholics and Protestants (I hope he implied Othodox too) had more in common than they had in differences. I grew up Village Chapel, joined a lively evangelical Church at 18, moved with my job to Gloucester joined a Pentecostal Church there, stayed with Pentecostal Churches for a further twenty years before making my way into the Orthodox Church. Which has given me an interesting view on matters Christian.
A few years ago I was invited to a fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration back in Essex where I grew up. I sat at the table with some Christian friends who I hadn't seen for nigh on thirty years, if not more. As is the wont of Christians, we discussed spiritual matters, particularly of books and Christian teachers who had been of importance in our spiritual life. My friend mentioned people who he knew of, who sadly meant nothing to me. I mentioned people I knew of, who sadly meant nothing to him. As he talked I wondered why it was that he was not interested in Godly people like Anthony Bloom, Timothy Ware and Hilarion Alfvyev and I was left cold by his talk of Maurice Smith and John Noble. Why is there no cross pollination between different Christian groups?
Another friend of mine is a Tridentine Roman Catholic-that is he likes the Latin Mass. As an Orthodox Christian I know of the Power of God in the Liturgy, but I do prefer it in the venacular. My friend meets God in the Latin Mass, it's not for me but it is for him and that is what is most important.
It seems that all Christians speak the Language of Zion, the problem is that sometimes it'swith such a strong dialect, that we sometimes have difficulties hearing one another.
Visiting the Greek mainland a few years ago I was surprised to see the road signs bi-lingual-in Greek and English-no, not a transliteration of the Greek letters into Latin letters, but a translation of the sign from one language to another. Why English? I mean Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania all border on to Greece, Italy is only a ferry trip away, so why English? Perhaps the Greeks realise that English people can't be bothered to learn their language and being the Cradle of Civilization, courteously translate the road signs for us Northern Barbarians, who knows?
Which brings me to the subject matter of this blog-the Language that Christians speak. By now you will have realised that I am one with C S Lewis when he deplored all the rivalry between Christian groups, making the point the Catholics and Protestants (I hope he implied Othodox too) had more in common than they had in differences. I grew up Village Chapel, joined a lively evangelical Church at 18, moved with my job to Gloucester joined a Pentecostal Church there, stayed with Pentecostal Churches for a further twenty years before making my way into the Orthodox Church. Which has given me an interesting view on matters Christian.
A few years ago I was invited to a fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration back in Essex where I grew up. I sat at the table with some Christian friends who I hadn't seen for nigh on thirty years, if not more. As is the wont of Christians, we discussed spiritual matters, particularly of books and Christian teachers who had been of importance in our spiritual life. My friend mentioned people who he knew of, who sadly meant nothing to me. I mentioned people I knew of, who sadly meant nothing to him. As he talked I wondered why it was that he was not interested in Godly people like Anthony Bloom, Timothy Ware and Hilarion Alfvyev and I was left cold by his talk of Maurice Smith and John Noble. Why is there no cross pollination between different Christian groups?
Another friend of mine is a Tridentine Roman Catholic-that is he likes the Latin Mass. As an Orthodox Christian I know of the Power of God in the Liturgy, but I do prefer it in the venacular. My friend meets God in the Latin Mass, it's not for me but it is for him and that is what is most important.
It seems that all Christians speak the Language of Zion, the problem is that sometimes it'swith such a strong dialect, that we sometimes have difficulties hearing one another.
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