Turn Around Is Fair Play

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Today I had my second Arabic lesson with Deacon Hadiya who teaches Arabic at St. Leo's. First, I should explain why Arabic-speaking seminarians study Arabic in seminary.

The language of the streets that people speak every day in Egypt is Arabic known as Egyptian Colloquial Arabic. Because Egypt is the most-populous Arabic-speaking country and because Egypt is the center of Arabic-speaking mass media, most Arabic speakers in the world can speak and understand Egyptian Arabic, even if they speak a different common language. The language of print media and news and education is called Modern Standard Arabic. This is what we might call "formal" Arabic and students may or may not have much exposure or training in this language. Deacon Hadiya's teaches Modern Standard Arabic at the seminary to the students.

Now, on with my story. I had my second Arabic lesson today. I have already learned how to write Arabic script and can recognize letters and read words though I know no grammar and have very little vocabulary. So on Tuesday we began by reading John 1 in Arabic. My homework was to continue practice reading and to think about words and ideas.

Today after a simple review of sounds and words, a little something to get me warmed up and make me feel like I was making great progress, Deacon Hadiya looked at me and said in Arabic, "now you will tell me about John 1 in Arabic."

Can you say fear and terror? I can't do this. I don't know any grammar. I don't have a vocabulary. I don't have words to express my thoughts. HMMMM, I think the look on my face and the pit in my stomach is EXACTLY the same look I see in my students eyes when I ask them to do this in English. I took a deep breath and began with what I knew and what I could say in Arabic, "Jesus was the word. Jesus was the light. Jesus shows God's grace." (I'm a Lutheran, I cannot speak about Jesus without speaking about grace!)

All I can say is Deacon Hadiya is a very patient teacher. My assignment for Tuesday is John 2.

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Comments

[katie]

in the beginning . . .
I love your simple arabic. Maybe that is what I need to pay attention to in my own study. What can we humans "really" articulate in the language of God? We start small . . . with only words . . . simple words. I believe that IS grace.