Saturday, December 22, 2007

The Confused Tourist and the Two Languages

An American tourist wandered into a town in Mexico. Two men approached him.

The first said in Spanish, "You are not from around here, are you? Come to my house, and I will feed you. You can stay with me at no cost. Because I want you to feel comfortable in my homeland."

But the foreigner could not understand what this man said, because he did no know or understand Spanish.

Then the second man spoke in English, "Come with me, my friend. I know where you can eat for only ten dollars. And a place where you can sleep for only fifty dollars. And I will be your guide for only forty dollars."

Because the American could understand this, he agreed to these terms. And rather than enjoying hospitality with a friend for free, he paid one hundred dollars to a thief.

So when someone comes asking about God, if you do not speak in a language that they can understand, you will drive them away. And then they are easily led astray by thieves and liars who can speak to them of earthly things they can understand.

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