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¿Mutante o Híbrido? Mutant or Hybrid?

11/14/2017

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Soy un hombre de dos países. Nací y crecí en Wisconsin, USA. Llevo 40 años en Latinoamérica. Hablo inglés y español. Mis lecturas tienden a ser más en inglés. Mis estudios y predicaciones… casi todos en español.

Tal como sucede en el campo de la interpretación de la Biblia, el uso de los idiomas implica más que un simple intercambio de palabras. ¡Cuántas veces me he atorado cuando voy traduciendo palabra por palabra! Me doy cuenta en seguida cuando de esa manera no alcanzo el sentido más cercano al de la frase o el párrafo a traducir.

Junto con esto, se me viene a la mente la gran pregunta. ¿qué vino primero: la lengua o la cultura? Pues la una siempre refleja la otra, y vice versa.

O sea, el esfuerzo por asimilar otra lengua te expone a que seas transformado más profundamente de lo que esperabas cuando empezaste a aprenderla. Terminarás pensando, sintiendo y reaccionando de un modo que antes no.

A estas alturas de mi vida, reconozco que vivo un enigma que muchos no entenderán. No importa donde esté: disfruto a la familia y los amigos que tengo frente a mí. Estimo muchos aspectos del ambiente cultural donde estoy. Al mismo tiempo, extraño (y mucho) todo lo que dejé del otro lado para estar de este lado.

¿Soy un mutante o un híbrido?

Digo ‘mutante’ con su connotación negativa. A veces me siento desubicado, extraño, que no pertenezco, no del todo integrado,  hombre sin tierra… que no soy enteramente ni de allá ni de acá. En esos ratos, me pregunto si es mejor volver a donde estaba. Lo divertido es que no importa de cuál lado esté… sigo lidiando con lo mismo.

Digo “híbrido” cuando me dejo convencer que lo mejor de ambas vidas me ha hecho quien soy. A veces me siento realizado como persona y como creyente, identificado con algo mayor que alguna nacionalidad en particular, dotado de una perspectiva más cristiana… ”donde no hay griego ni judío, circuncisión ni incircuncisión, bárbaro ni escita, siervo ni libre, sino que Cristo es el todo, y en todos.” Colossians 3:11
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Mi familia califica como internacional, cuento con amigos cercanos y me sostiene una confraternidad espiritual inigualable… ¡en ambos lados!

Así que, como sea que me sienta en un momento dado, reconozco que mi vida en Cristo ha sido de puros privilegios y regalos.

No lamento nada.

¿Te acordarás de ‘la gorrión de París’, Edith Piaf? Una de sus últimas canciones expresa lo que siento. Ella la cantaba con un tono desafiante después de una vida difícil. Yo, si pudiera, se la cantaría a mi Señor.

I am a man of two countries. I was born and raised in Wisconsin. I have lived in Latin America for 40 years. I speak English and Spanish. I tend to read more in English. My studies and preaching… nearly all in Spanish.

As happens in the area of Bible translation, the use of languages implies much more than a simple interchange of words. How many times have I gotten stuck when trying to translate word for word? I realize quickly that it is not usually the way to achieve the closest sense of the phrase or paragraph to be translated.

Along with this, the big question comes to mind: what comes first: the language or the culture? Because one always reflects the other, and vice versa.

In other words, the effort to assimilate another language exposes you to being transformed more deeply than you anticipated when you began learning it. You will end up thinking, feeling and reacting in ways that you had not before.

At this juncture in my life, I realize that I live an enigma that many will not understand. It doesn’t matter where I am: I enjoy the family and friends that I have in front of me. I value many aspects of the cultural environment where I am. At the same time, I miss (and deeply) all that I left on the other side to be on this side.

Am I a mutant or a hybrid?

I say ‘mutant’ with its negative connotation. At times I feel disoriented, strange, like I don’t belong, not integrated, a man without a country… that I am not entirely from there nor from here. In those moments, I wonder if it is better to return to where I came from. And the fun part is it doesn’t matter which side I am on… I keep battling with the same thing.

I say ‘hybrid’ when I let myself think that the best part of both worlds has made me who I am. At times, I feel fulfilled as a person and as a believer, identified with something greater than any particular nationality, granted a more Christian perspective… "Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all."  Colossians 3:11

My family qualifies as international, I have close friends and an incomparable spiritual confraternity… on both sides!

So, however I feel at any given moment, I recognize that my life in Christ has been all about privileges and gifts.

I have no regrets.

Do you remember the ‘sparrow of Paris’, Edith Piaf? One of her later songs expresses how I feel. She sang it with a defiant tone after a hard life. I, if I could, would sing it to the Lord.

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    Greg Smith

    Greg grew up in Menomonee Falls, WI. His ministry began in 1976: 5 years in Central America, 36 in Mexico. His passion is church planting and discipleship.
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    Greg enjoys being married to Carol Ahola-Smith. Both have been missionaries (Japan and Mexico); both watched their first spouses precede them in death.
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If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world. --Ludwig Wittgenstein
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