When I was young, I usually play the game "World Languages". I would guess which country a proverb is from. This made me enjoy discovering about World languages and the people they represent. It also made me happy that I know many languages!
When I was in elementary school, we celebrate the United Nations month during October. This is one of my favorite events in school. I am excited to see different national costumes. I also feel happy when I recognize many countries.
But then later on, I lost my interest in all these because I became busy in my studies. I did not find the use of learning many languages.
It was only during my university days that I got this interest back. I met many people since then. From Koreans to Africans, and from Indonesians to Americans. My interest about different cultures also returned.
I was able to travel to different countries also. I realized that it is amazing that even if there are different cultures, and languages, we still look for the same things. We look for acceptance, respect, friendship, laughter, and fun. We might not be so different after all.
What brought back my love for languages and culture? When I got to know the creator of these different cultures, who is God. He is creative, and He loves each and every person in this world.
It is said in the Bible,
From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
Acts 17:26-27
God sees us all as valuable. God thought about you. He has a plan for your life. I realized that we are all different, but we are loved by one God. When I learned God is interested in me, I learned to be interested in others too. This time, for the right reasons-- let them know about the greatest lover of souls, Jesus.