I am currently reading a novel about the making of the first English dictionary in Oxford. Just the right thing for me! I love to study the origin and meaning of words. In a foreign language, it helps me to understand and remember the word better. But it´s also very interesting in my mother tongue. And in Hebrew of course. And the Romance languages are very similar. God's words, on the other hand, are in a completely different league! His words are more than words, because they are the only ones that create something new, material or spiritual, out of something acoustic. And I can read His Word in the Bible and touch it in Jesus. And sometimes I can feel it in my life, too!
In the novel I stumbled across the old spelling for "mercy": "merci". Like "Thank you" in French!, I thought. In French, grace means "grâce", similar to "grazie", thank you in Italian, or "grazia" in Latin. I was never sure what the difference between "grace and mercy" was. But apparently it has the same roots! Plus the word "gratitude": Grazia in Latin is, among other things: grace and thanksgiving. And for grace there are again a bunch of different words in Latin, which have a lot of interesting meanings.... You get from one word to the other and learn more and more. Who defined what each word means? How can words be translated appropriately? That´s especially interesting for Bible translation. In December, we started to work on our first translations from Isaiah in Hebrew Seminary. Either you translate relatively literally. Then it reads very bumpy. Or you can transfer it into your own language and time. Then it is not as close to the original. Some of the background is lost, but you can understand it better. Behind each word is its own story or even several stories. Each word evokes associations and reminds of other stories. Worlds open up! Then you can no longer just read quickly over a sentence. You want to dig deeper and find treasures. In Hebrew, for example, living and sitting are the same word (in English maybe dwelling). That makes sense. But it expresses even more rest when God sits among us and does not only live with us. Sitting together in the living room is cozy. But then I think of Jesus and how he lived among us. He didn't just sit there and let himself be served by Mary. He also put on an apron and washed the disciples' feet. I had to think about this when I washed up the vomit of a sick family member recently. This is washing each other's feet, as Jesus taught us. This is how God dwells among us. He is not like an arrogant patriarch whom we serve. He is more like a housewife and mother. But none of these images does him justice. How should we define "God"? There are so many names for God. And yet he is the "I am". How could we ever understand that? Which verb is more complex than "to be"?
I am grateful that God came into my world as Jesus. Jesus is not easy either, but he is a bit more compact. I think the series "The Chosen" shows Jesus really well. It stimulates my imagination
to imagine what Jesus is really like. What he would do and say today in my time and place. And then I always see his loving eyes before me. His grace and mercy for me (and those who annoy me).
And then I'm grateful.
Merci Jesus!
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever (his mercy never quits).
Psalm 136:26