This year at school I've taught 3 World History classes and 2 Literature classes.
As the last novel of the year we're reading The Giver by Lois Lowry which is a young adult science fiction novel. I've found that teachers and parents too enjoy reading and discussing The Giver. Interestingly enough I'm not a science fiction genre fan but this one captivated me from the first time and every chance I get to teach it I enjoy it. It deals with a utopian society and what they have and don't have in order to be perfect. In the course of the novel, through the experience of our twelve-year-old protagonist we learn that this society isn't as perfect as they would like to think. I wouldn't want to spoil anyone's pleasure of reading and enjoying this novel for themselves so I won't expound on the plot further.
One rule of the community is 'precision of language' which got me thinking this dull, gray, at-home Sunday morning.... I love words!
(It's even one of my 5 Love Languages according to Gary Chapman.)
I enjoy a well-crafted sentence or paragraph, one of which I read this week in the liner notes of a recently purchased Gaither Vocal Band CD:
".... when the singers who use those voices have each been processed and refined by life in a way only God can do, then the music they make becomes a transcendent experience that reaches to the bottom of our souls....." ~ Gloria Gaither
I suppose these lines spoke to my heart so much because I've lived them out for myself. I know what being processed and refined by life in a way only God can do and I've made music which became a transcendent experience that reached to the bottom of my soul as well as others'. It's indescribable at times!
Sometimes, my love of language is simply a favorite word, I've collected a few from my life experience. In Chinese, it's an expression of frustration or agitation, "Aiyeah!" or in Moroccan, it would have to be what I heard often, "Schutz" (shush, be quiet) or "Ya la" (Hurry up! Let's go!) or in French, (ahhhhh, the after a fine dinner), "Confortable".... But in English my favorite word has to be "lavish".
I don't know exactly what it is about it, its sound or its meaning that makes my heart skip a beat with delight... but it does when I hear it or read it. In the New Testament, in the first letter of the apostle John chapter 3 verse 1 says, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" ****Sweet***** I'm not sure if it's the entirety of the verse which thrills me or that my favorite word is at its heart or that it's 'the perfect storm' of my favorite word expressing God's heart of love so succinctly! AWESOME.
Language, it's a wonderful thing when there's understanding but when there's precision of language expressing exactly what and how you want to be understood, there's nothing like it. Then there are some times language isn't even enough, when our hearts bubble up and overflow like a fountain when we're overcome with LOVE, God's love:
Walking hand in hand back that long aisle as freshly pronounced husband and wife
Holding that healthy ten-fingered, ten-toed bundle in your arms for the first eternal moment of their lives
Four generations gathered around one over-stuffed table offering a prayer of thanks
Saying that final good-bye in person, from your lips to their ears, drawing a faint smile of a life well-lived
