Can You Read Me Now?

A Nice, Quiet Place to Study

Rye, New York  2010

2 Corinthians 1:13-14 NIV
"For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus."


At first, the train moved imperceptibly from its position, then, a jolt shook us as we hooked to a line of cars ahead of or behind us. High pitched squeals of metal on metal indicated the slowing of our impact as we added cars to the procession. 

Once the engineers completed their adjustments, the Austrian Railways (ÖBB) train pulled out of the station on schedule.

In 1980, I studied in Bregenz, Austria. My friends and I looked forward to our three-day weekends to travel on Eurorail passes to neighboring countries. Although we had second or third class accommodations, we were just excited to be on the train.

One day I caught a local train to a hat factory near Bregenz to buy my brother an Alpine hat. While there, I spoke to a woman trying on hats. We talked for some time before she paused and asked what part of Germany I was from as she couldn't place my accent. When I told her I was an American, she refused to believe me.

As a student, I felt proud of my fluency. As a human, I felt proud of my ability to relate to her in her own language and culture.

After seven years of studying German in school, it took me a little less than six weeks of total immersion to become familiar enough with the language to be able to reach the point where I could pass as a German with a strange accent. 

Every language has its inherent learning curve.

Right now, we have a student at school who is new to us. He is from a country in the far east. He speaks limited English. My friend, the ESOL teacher, talked to him about his progress taking notes in English class.

He responded, "I can't read the notes on the board." 

She told him he needed to assume responsibility for his learning and move up closer to the board, so he could read the notes. 

He stopped her, "No, that's not it. I can SEE the notes. I can not READ the notes."

The student is in the process of language acquisition. Having lived it myself, I know he has a long road ahead of him.  Certainly total immersion in the language and culture will help him, but it will take much dedication from him, too.

I'm this way with my Bible right now. I can SEE the verses, but I can't always READ the verses.  I have to use study guides and listen in church for help interpreting what's in front of me. I have to spend more time immersing myself in study of the Bible in order to be able to understand God's will for my life.

It's easy to see something; it's not so easy to understand it.

That's where individual accountability and hard work takes place.
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Lord, help me grow in understanding of your Word each day.