Editorial April 17, 1948 Issue

ONE LANGUAGE

L. Ivimy Gwalter

The first verse of the eleventh chapter of Genesis recounts what on the surface appears to be a normal and idealistic state, "The whole earth was of one language, and of one speech." However, this was the counterfeit, or inversion, of true idealism, for presently the language was confounded, the people were scattered, the city and tower which they were building were abandoned and became known as Babel, or confusion. In the narrative, error ascribes this result to Truth and affirms the scattering, confusion, and destruction to be God's doing.

In striking contrast to this account is the twenty-first chapter of Revelation, where St. John describes the holy city, New Jerusalem, which comes down from God out of heaven. In exquisite imagery he describes the celestial beauty of the city, its purity and light, and says (verses 24, 27): "The nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. ... And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." In this heavenly city, into which the nations of the world bring their glory and honor, is no egotistic nationalism, race prejudice, barrier of language, confusion of tongues, or lack of understanding, for the city foursquare is perfect spiritual consciousness, one and indivisible.

Erring human sense, which regards man as divided into many finite persons, assumes a diversity of origins, histories, backgrounds, ideologies, outlooks, and loyalties, with an attendant multiplicity of tongues. To this belief language appears as an interchange of ideas, a vehicle of communication from one to another, translating ideas through the medium of words. From this error arise the beliefs of the inadequacy of words to convey the idea and of consequent imperfect translation, resulting in misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and often mistrust.

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