June 16, 2026
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Romans 15:7
One of the reasons it’s hard for kids and people who are new to a language to communicate effectively is a lack of vocabulary. It can be hard to express your thoughts without a full library of words, and even harder when you lack the metaphors, idioms, and cultural reference points. Kids pick things up quickly, and for adults learning languages, some words carry from one to another, change only slightly, or have a similar sounding word we call a cognate. But for silent words… it can be more challenging.
When a word enters usage in one language, most languages quickly adopt it or find an equivalent. But for sign language, new vocabulary, especially long words, you can get stuck having to spell it out, discouraging its use. This means a new concept might not be widely discussed or understood, perhaps actively avoided in the deaf community. Imagine your conversation lacking all the fun space vocabulary we use regularly? Out of this world, staring into space, someone fell into a black hole never to be heard from again, or the gravity of a situation… all out of reach or off limits. Enter… The International Astronomical Union.
In 2017, the IAU created 47 new signs for astronomical terms and added 86 more last year. They didn’t just invite the deaf community into conversation about outer space. They empowered them to greater participation in everyday life and community. That’s what we do when we create space - pun intended - for people who use a different language from us. When we make room for celebrations of other cultures, invite neighbors to break bread with us, express curiosity over fear when people are up late, fasting, or using fireworks on days other than Independence Day, we create bridges of communication, trust, compassion, and dialogue.
This summer, the world is visiting our nation for World Cup Soccer as we celebrate our 250 year as a country. How will we offer welcome, shared language, hospitality, curiosity, and friendship? Will we seek to include or miss the opportunity to draw our circle wider? Will we make space?
Prayer
Lord, help me make space with signs of welcome, curiosity, and common ground. Amen.
Rev. Brian Daoust
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