Many parents have asked why their students must take Spanish, especially if their students struggle or never plan to use the language that they are learning. There are, however, four very good reasons on why a person should learn another language.

Created: In Christian schools today we have the unique opportunity to study God’s creation with wonder and admiration for a perfect God. He created language back in the Old Testament as a way to confuse men and to show them the difference between them and God. God then used language to bring men back to Him in the New Testament. We should not allow languages to confuse us, but live in God’s example of using them to communicate effectively with those around us to spread God’s Word.

Communication: God graced humans with the ability to communicate with others around them. To be able to speak another language would increase greatly the students’ ability to converse freely. It would nearly double their prospective audiences and the people with whom they might develop meaningful relationships. This also increases the safe nature of their travel as well. Economically speaking, as adults many of you might have seen the need for Spanish interpreters and speakers in your many jobs. Regardless of the reason the need is there, it still exists and a person’s value in the job market, especially in cities such as Lafayette, increases greatly. Their ability to communicate on a spiritual level is also greatly increased and we as parents and teachers want to give our students the greatest number of possible opportunities to communicate God’s Word with others.

Community: We as God’s servants have a duty to live and love our neighbors. Nothing builds community or tears it down faster then the inability to communicate, the unwillingness to try and the love of self that allows us to justify our actions. We as Chrsitians are to serve our neighbors and love them as we love ourselves. Though many of our neighbors might be able to speak English to communicate, knowing their first language is a way to be able to create an immediate and lasting connection. This is a great way to be able to show love in a practical, lasting way.

Culture: To truly know another person it’s necessary to know where they come from and who they really are. A person’s culture is a key link to who they are as a person. A person’s language and culture are tied together and can’t be separated. To understand a language will open up the diversity of God’s created world. Thus an ability to communicate God’s love to others is attainable through culturally significant means.

Christ: The most convincing and completely irrefutable reason for learning another language is Christ. In Matthew He commands men and women to go out and make disciples of all nations. This not only includes the international world around us, but includes the very city that we live in. No one can argue that a second language would not come in handy. Perhaps it might be easier for the world to learn English and then we can minister to them. However the Bible give no such distinction. There are no allowances for language, culture, gender, religion or belief system that give us as Christians a way out of showing God’s glory, love and existence to others. To argue that one might not become a missionary does not excuse them either. The mission field doesn’t exist solely in the countries beyond our border, but as many of you know, those countries are now coming to us. A person’s inability to speak English, or even unwillingness, does not excuse us from the commandment to love them, and to tell them about Christ. In the event that a person might speak English, or understand it, in the most important decision they will ever make, shouldn't we as Christians make it as stressless time as possible. Should we allow possible misunderstanding stand in the was of a necessary step? The ability to speak Spanish in this case will virtually double your chances to connect with someone on a personal level and a deeper spiritual love, through Christ Jesus.