Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20enters in to the process of knowing nothing, relying on someone else to help them with learning a new way of conceptualizing and communicating human experiences. When I began learning Khamet, a language yet to be written, it was evident that it had a tremendous impact on relationships with those that I would meet. No one ever learns their language—they are at the bottom of the linguistic, ethnic, and social hierarchy. There was a sense of value and esteem that was infused into my relationship with Khamet people, enabled in part by the power and prestige laid down, with what could have been an insistence to maintain a superior position in using only English, or even Thai or Lao. How does learning languages fit within the context of reconciliation? Language is one of the most visceral aspects of human existence. It is hard to imagine life and relationships without language. It is deeply involved and connected with our experiences and with the ways in which we interact with our world; which is another way of saying that language is inseparable from culture. However, languages, just like many other aspects of human relationships, become hierarchical. Certain languages assume positions of power and often this has led to language loss for languages on the opposite end of the power inequality. If I love my neighbor and desire their good, this means to me that I should really care about the things that are closest to them, particularly their language and culture. Coming from a position of power in the world with the privilege of being born into an English-speaking home, as well as being a white male—both are significant positions of power in the structure of this modern world. However, as a follower of Christ and following his example of kenosis I believe that one demonstration of relinquishing power and privilege and serving in humility is to recognize linguistic inequality and learn the language of my neighbor. I believe that this is one way that we can tangibly lay down our privilege, ask for forgiveness as appropriate, offer a space of embrace, and to both extend and receive grace that originates in Christ. If Christ did not consider equality with God something to cling on to, but rather as something to relinquish for the sake of the world, then as a follow of Jesus I need to understand what it is that I cling to, especially those imbued with power and privilege, and relinquish them for the sake of others. I like to refer to this as a “strangering” process. What Christ did was take a position and a form which was not his own—he strangered himself. Rather than viewing the “Other” as a stranger, He Himself came as the stranger in order to de-stranger the world, reconciling the world to have restored relationship with our Creator. In a similar way, learning a language engages this process—we put ourselves in the position of the stranger and through relationship and the ability to communicate more and more in the language of the “Other” they no longer remain the “Other” but become “Thou” or “You” as friend.