Aug 11 Tue
Do I need the "gift of tongues" to talk about God?
Even when Jesus talked about really deep stuff, He kept it simple; He could connect with anyone. "Jesus respects people's mentality and background. Fishermen hear about nets and fish, farmers about seeds and vines, housewives about lost coins, and the Samaritan woman about the very water she came to Jacob's well to get."
No one left feeling lost; everyone got the message in a way that made sense to them. Jesus' message, the Good News, was for everyone, and people slowly started to get it. As it became late, they even had to be sent home because He was so easy to listen to.
Christ gave us those words of eternal life. We know that God's worst enemy on earth is ignorance; and as one of the Popes has written, it is the cause and root of all the evils poisoning peoples and distressing souls. That is why we ardently desire to lead all souls to the truth of Christ himself. How can people love him if they don't know him? You don't love what you don't know. This means we have to adjust to different mindsets and backgrounds, rather than assuming everyone thinks the same way.
So, we need the gift of tongues, which means knowing how to share what you know about God – something super important for anyone who wants to be an apostle."
Teaching something means making it easy for people to understand. When you're sharing, be clear. We can't let people shrug and say, 'whatever': the truth is one. The gift of tongues means you adapt to who's listening and what they already know. It comes from you preparing your material and the love and faith you put into this apostolic work."
This knack for matching what one teaches with how people think is so crucial in the apostolate that St. Josemaría asked God to give his daughters and sons the gift of tongues, so that what we all say is clear to everyone.
Talking to people "in their own language" is a good start, but in the doctrinal apostolate, we also need to say the same things over and over. First, because people might not get it all the first time, and second, because they might forget it.
"This means being ready to explain ideas fifty different ways if you have to. Eventually, they'll get it. At first, only three people understand, then ten, and finally thirty."
Patience is key, so we don't get discouraged by our own mistakes or when others are slow to catch on. “In this way we will topple the idols of misunderstanding, of injustice, of ignorance, and of those who claim to be self-sufficient and arrogantly turn their backs on God."
We have to say the same things, but in different ways. What we believe about faith and morals stays the same, obviously, but our style should be fresh and varied. The same ideas, in a hundred different ways, pleasantly, so that what we say is always kind, seasoned with salt, so we know how to answer everyone.
But most of all, what you say must be aligned with the testimony of your life.