Galatians 5:22-23

Sisters and brothers in Christ,

It has been our tradition on Pentecost Sunday at Lake Trails Presbyterian Church to have a Bible passage read aloud in a variety of languages. Since we won’t be able to do this tomorrow, my Bible verse for this evening is assorted translations of Gal. 5:22-23. 

(No, I don’t know all these languages, but my computer does, and I believe each language is understood by at least one member of our congregation. You might enjoy trying to read some aloud. Once the languages get beyond your ability, feel free to skip to the end, where I’ve added a brief meditation. Readers of Tamil, Hindi, and Chinese may want to start at the end and work backwards.) 

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (English)

El fruto del Espíritu es amor, alegría, paz, paciencia, amabilidad, bondad, fidelidad, humildad y dominio propio. (Spanish)

Il frutto dello Spirito invece è amore, gioia, pace, pazienza, benevolenza, bontà, fedeltà, mansuetudine, autocontrollo. (Italian)

Le fruit de l’Esprit, c’est l’amour, la joie, la paix, la patience, la bonté, la bienveillance, la foi, la douceur, la maîtrise de soi. (French)

Die Frucht des Geistes aber ist Liebe, Freude, Friede, Langmut, Freundlichkeit, Güte, Treue, Sanftmut, Selbstbeherrschung. (German)

Maar de Heilige Geest brengt ons tot betere dingen: liefde, blijdschap, vrede, geduld, vriendelijkheid, mildheid, trouw, tederheid en zelfbeheersing. (Dutch)

Дух же породжує любов, радість, мир, терпіння, доброту, великодушність, вірність, лагідність і самовладання. (Ukrainian)

Дух же порождает любовь, радость, мир, терпение, благость, доброту, верность, кротость и воздержание. (Russian)

但圣灵所结的果子是仁爱、喜乐、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信实、 温柔、节制 (Chinese)

परन्तुआत्माकाफलहैप्रेम, आनन्द, शान्ति, धीरज, दया, उदारता, विश्वस्तता, ²³ विनम्रतातथाआत्मसंयम (Hindi)

ஆனால், ஆவியானவர்நமக்குஅன்பு, மகிழ்ச்சி, சமாதானம், பொறுமை, கருணை, நன்மை, விசுவாசம், நற்பண்பு, தன்னடக்கம் ஆகிய நற்கனிகளை உருவாக்குகின்றார். (Tamil)

Gathering these translations has prompted me to thank God for the extent to which Christians really have been witnesses to Christ to “the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8) since Pentecost. One online source tells me that the whole Bible has been translated into 698 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,548 languages, and Bible portions or stories into 1,138 other languages. Another source estimates that some 7,795,482,000 people around the world identify as Christians. (And think how many more are already in heaven.) The Spirit has been quietly at work for two thousand years, empowering the church to bear witness to Christ and, despite all our brokenness and failures, ensuring that the work begun at Pentecost hasn’t faded but grown. 

I also thank God that the Spirit doesn’t just put a Bible in our hands and then leave us to grow by ourselves. He bears fruit in us. His fruit ripens more slowly in some than in others, but the Spirit never gives up on any of us. The Spirit is even now patiently bearing fruit in people “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Rev. 7:9). 

Finally, at a time when the brokenness of our world is only too evident, I thank God for his promise of a blessed time of peace when all nations will “walk” by the light of the Lamb (Rev. 21:24). We won’t just shuffle along; we’ll walk “in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25), and so in step with one another. This won’t be some kind of regimented military march. Far from it! It’ll be the perfection of a vast population of human beings of multiple languages, cultures, and ethnicities, living together in all our splendid variety in “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Your brother in Christ,

Max