Today was Spanish lesson day. Our sweet and fun teacher, Miss M, comes to the house and works with the littles for a half an hour or so. They are really enjoying their lessons, as she makes it fun to learn. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how quickly they are picking it up.
Today we learned the names of colors. Azul (blue) and rosa (pink) we knew from Dora the Explorer, thank you very much. Today they learned amarillo. (Cooter said it sounded like armadillo, and then went off on a tangent about running over them. No! I’ve never ever.) And blanca. And rojo and verde. And then came naranja.
Both Cooter and our Princess started off trying to pronounce it phonetically, using the English version of the sound the “j” makes. I stepped in like I do *sigh*, “No y’all, in Spanish the ‘j’ makes the “huh” sound.”
Miss M reinforced that with them, and as Cooter practiced one more time, I turned to Princess and asked, “If the j makes an ‘h’ sound in Spanish, then how do you think “Jesus” is pronounced in Spanish?”
She sounded it out and eventually came up with the phonetic pronunciation of “Hay-soos.” Very good.
Miss M explained that yes, in Spanish, that is how Jesus is pronounced, but in English it is Jesus.
Cooter looked up.
“Huh,” he said, staring at nothing. I could see the wheels turning. “I guess God speaks the same language we do then.”
Y’all.
Oh my.
Not wanting the Spanish lesson to be taken over with an obviously needed theology lesson for my seven-year old, I held off on saying too much just then. But both Miss M and I laughed and shook our heads.
“The way some folks act and think, you would think so, wouldn’t you?”
I have a challenge on my hands, I’m afraid. We’re all a bit egocentric at best, and Cooter is no exception. But I want him to know that Jesus didn’t speak English, King James or otherwise, that God does not choose America’s side over another country, that Jesus most likely was not blue-eyed and fair-skinned, and that God and Jesus go way beyond nationalities and borders and languages.
It’s going to take a while, I’m afraid. I know adults who don’t get it yet.
So we’ll add theology to our list of studies for now, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they can grasp just how much we can’t grasp about God. And the world. And still be okay with it.
As my Aunt says, I think we’re all going to be surprised.
Love to all.
I Might Need A Nap 