(Click here for Spanish translation) A reader of this blog last week titled All in the “Familia," asked me if we would focus solely on the subject of family. It is a valid question coming from those whose language is English, since the title lends itself to that interpretation. The English language is a more literal one than Spanish, for instance, and is thus better suited for more practical uses. So when you say in the “family” this is taken in the literal sense, which is ok. The Spanish language on the other hand uses much more indirect allusions, designed for a poetic and imaginative people. For us, "familia" can have a literal sense of course, but it also means to feel comfortable among friends, without formalities, and among trusted people in one’s inner circle - which can be a very sizeable circle! (lol)
Have you ever wondered, for instance, why so many Latin Americans have won Nobel Prizes (Four at last count) for literature, but so few for science? It is precisely because Spanish literature accurately reflects the temperament of its people, a communicative, vivacious and creative people. When communicating ideas, we like to express them in an elegant style where eloquence competes in importance with the depth of the subject matter, sometimes placing style over substance. On the positive side, this has allowed many of our statesmen who have been educated in the liberal arts, and often our writers, to venture successfully into the field of criticism, not just literary but social and philosophical as well.
Yet in general terms, in a poetic culture, a great idea does not stand much of a chance if it’s not also expressed beautifully. Conversely, a mediocre idea can seize the day, if it is part of an eloquent speech! The down side is that such a culture is prone to buying ideas of lesser merit, while many good and well-intentioned leaders have been ignored because of their inability to captivate the masses with rhetoric.
In God’s perfect design different languages reflect the temperament of the people that speak them, as He gave each one a culture that expresses different aspects of their humanity. We can trace this back to the tower of Babel, when God confused the languages and cultural diversity began, never to return to the way things used to be. Hispanics were given an appreciation for elegant and flowery communication, while others received a clear and specific language, more ideal for attending to practical issues. So when we titled our first blog “All in the Familia” we are not saying we will focus exclusively on issues surrounding the family, though that is an essential message that the Hispanic community needs to hear. What we meant is that we want everyone to feel welcome here, hence our format of Spanish with an English translation. Going forward, the new title will be “We Hispanics" (Nosotros Los Hispanos).
God desires that different cultures come to know, appreciate and enrich one another and become members of His Familia! God has made His people to reflect the entire spectrum of humanity. Individually we are diverse, but in Christ we are one - His body, His bride- and He asks that we embrace and love our differences. He spoke directly to disciples of all stripes, shapes, sizes and temperaments and told them: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35 NASB).
We look forward to continuing our discussion next week as we address the “familia” from the perspective of “We Hispanics.”