He sat forward in his chair, elbows propped on his knees, chin resting on clasped hands, eyes glued to the Jesus Film. As Robert listened to the words of Jesus in his heart language, the emotions welling up inside him converged into a single tear that trickled down his cheek.
This was no ordinary tear.
The crucifixion of Christ illuminated the screen. As the camera closed in on the suffering and agony of Jesus on the cross, His words in Robert’s mother tongue pierced the depths of his soul. A follower of the Way, this man taught others about Jesus and helped guide a small congregation of Kinyamulenge-speaking refugees in a town a world away from their African homeland. His mind knew the facts around the life and death of Jesus, and he even knew that the Son of God was worthy of his life’s devotion.
But his heart had never experienced the Word of God in his own language — until today. Now he was tasting the sweetness of those words as he, along with hundreds of others, gathered to dedicate the first book of the Bible to be translated for them — the Gospel of Luke.
There are two kinds of Bibleless people in the world: those who acutely feel the void in their hearts, and those who do not. Robert was in the first category. His people had access to the Bible in a foreign language, but he knew they would be limited in their understanding of God’s Word until they heard it in Kinyamulenge.
Heart-language Scripture shines the Light of Life most brightly into the lives of those living in darkness.
The terms we use for the language we know best are not coincidental: “mother tongue” and “heart language.” They aptly describe the language we heard spoken when we were brand new to this life and just beginning to form our understanding of the world around us. The heart language reaches to the depths of human comprehension and feeling. It is the language that shines the Light of Life most brightly into the lives of those who live in darkness.
Yet the mere recognition of a need is not enough. Those who see it must become connected with those who are willing and able to meet it.
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Victor is a pastor serving a large congregation of Kinyamulenge-speaking refugees in Kentucky. Desire for a Bible translation for his people had been in his heart for years, but the way forward had never been clear. In 2015, he heard a Pioneer Bible Translators presentation at his church. Afterwards, he offered his request for a Bible translation for his people. Conversations began, and connections were made. But for various reasons, the project struggled to get started.
Several states away, Robert continued to lead his small congregation of Kinyamulenge speakers who shared a church building with an English-speaking congregation. One Sunday morning, he attended the English-speaking service, where he heard a presentation from some Pioneer Bible missionaries working in West Africa. Walking up to them afterwards, Robert said simply, “My people — no Bible.”
More conversations began to happen; more connections were made. From different parts of the country, through various avenues of communication, God began weaving together the threads that would eventually unite a group of refugees and missionaries to translate His Word into Kinyamulenge.
God wove together the threads that united a group of refugees and missionaries to translate His Word into Kinyamulenge.
After many years of waiting, the time was right for the Kinyamulenge Bible translation to begin. This became Pioneer Bible Translators’ 100th translation project. The celebration that began with the Jesus Film was also a historic moment in the larger Bible translation movement. The Kinyamulenge Gospel of Luke is the first book of the Bible ever to be translated by refugees in a project conducted exclusively in the United States.
As the final scene of the Jesus Film faded from the screen, the crowd erupted into applause, standing to show their respect for the words of Truth they had just witnessed. This was followed by a formal dedication of the printed Gospel of Luke along with all the recognitions and speeches appropriate for such a momentous occasion. Then the celebration began. Oh, how sweet the worship! People flooded the stage, and their joy poured out in song and dance. They had felt a void in their hearts, and now that void was being filled.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Scripture quoted above (Psalm 119:103) is from the New International Version. Copyright 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
