Native Tongue

Today, the Anglican/Episcopal church celebrates the feast day of William Tyndale who brought the bible into the English language.  His work, persecuted by the monarchy and Church, was eventually appropriated by both to become the King James Bible.

Tyndale’s work was to bring the Gospel into his place and time–that was what translating the scriptures meant.  The fear of his persecutors was that such a translation would transform the scriptures into something else, something less than or different from the official doctrines of the church.  And in some ways they were right–every translation into a new context or language involves a transformation, but that transformation was already happening and had happened many times before not least of which was the movement from the written law of Moses to the living, enfleshed word of Christ.

Reflect today about how you can follow Tyndale and make the word of God, the good news of that word, native to your place and time.  What essential transformations will be required to make the word understandable here and now.