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| ♣Section - I | ♣Section - II |
IN THE EVENTFUL year 1996, the linguistic giants of the world announced that the number of languages has dropped greatly over the last few thousand years, and an unprecedented further loss of languages lies ahead in the present 21st century.
The dying out of languages is not a new phenomenon; For example, the languages of the ancient Egyptians, Sumerians and Etruscans have vanished. But, now the new fact in the present case is, that the extent and speed with which languages are dying.
About 10,000 years ago, according to these experts, when an estimated one million people populated the earth, there were some 10,000 - 15,000 languages. Of these, only about 6,000 to 7,000 have survived till today.
When the first Spanish conquerors landed on the American continent some 500 years ago, nearly 2,200 languages were in the usage. Today, the number is just under 600, of which, it has been foreseen that 250 would die out sure enough over the next few generations.
Similarly, of the 200 odd languages still exist in Australia, 135 are on the verge of vanishing.
Professor Michael Krauss of the University of Alaska recently estimated that among the languages listed on the Atlas of World Languages, as compiled by the linguists, only 300 to 600 are safe from becoming extinct.
Can you understand the intriguing ploy beneath these baffling happenings...?
IT IS ALMOST 2,000 years are completed from the pronouncement of that Great Commission by our LORD Jesus Christ that was very much detailed in the Books of St. Matthew [28:18-20], St. Mark [13:10 & 16:15-16] and St. Luke [24:47-48].
Moreover, during one of His discourses, our LORD clearly said:
'AND OTHER SHEEP I HAVE, WHICH ARE NOT OF THIS FOLD: THEM ALSO I MUST BRING, AND THEY SHALL HEAR MY VOICE; AND THERE SHALL BE ONE FOLD, AND ONE SHEPHERD.' -[Jn. 10:16] |
Only to fulfil this, He wants His disciples, followers and those who bear His name in one way or other to involve voluntarily in this Great Cause...!
But, whenever we hear His loving Voice, our immediate response is:
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'...I have bought a piece of ground, and I must need to go and see it: I pray thee have me excused,' Or... '... I have bought five yokes of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.' Or... '...I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' |
Even then, the LORD God, with all His abounding fatherly love, persists in us to listen to His Great Commandment. But our reply is like that of Moses:
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'O, my LORD, I am not eloquent... I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue...' 'Also I am not well versed in any of the other languages...' |
So, our LORD sees these kinds of excuses and He begins to clear the way for such people and once again urges them to obey His Commission; because He wants to do His work only through His beloved sons and daughters.
Still then, do you have any excuses to discard His Commission of propagating His Gospel in every nook and corner of this vast land?
