Listening to the Multilingual God: John's PrologueSample

"In Him was life"

— John 1:4

Here's another philosophical-sounding concept, one that will be repeated and emphasized many times throughout the Gospel of John: the theme of life in relation to Jesus. Later in the Gospel, Jesus will declare that he is "The Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6). Here in verse four of the prologue, John says that "in Him"_that is, in the Word, or Jesus—was life.

What does it mean that in Jesus was life? Is it a straightforward equation, like Jesus = life? Or is "life" instead an attribute of Jesus? Or is it used as a metaphor? Again, we believe that God has given every group of people the ability to express his nature and his truth through its unique language, and the structural requirements of other languages reveal a whole range of meaning. 

• In Alekano (a language in Papua New-Guinea), "in Him was life" is translated as "he is the father of life." 


• In Shipibo-Conibo (spoken in Peru), it is rendered as the "Word that caused to live." 


• Umiray Dumaget Agta (spoken in the Philippines) says "He is the one who gives life." 


• And in Tenango Otomi (spoken in Mexico), it's translated as "He is that one who gives the new life."

Clearly this only scratches the surface of the hundreds of languages that have translated this difficult concept. But even these four examples represent a welcome gift. Through these translations, we learn in a new way that Jesus is the father and giver of life, a new life that he has brought into being.

Meditate today on the new life that Jesus has given, the new life that he has created and called you to enjoy in companionship with him. Spend time thanking him with people from around the world for that universal new life.