Being a Theology major at a Christian university in the US, I have studied parts of scripture using English translations such as the NRSV or the ESV. While these translations have helped me grasp helpful methods on the way Scripture should be interpreted (along with hours of Greek!), I found myself feeling jaded when I tried to read the English translations of the Word for casual purposes. Instead of allowing God to work in my heart, I became frantic about how the text was being presented to the reader, often questioning whether particular phrases in popular English Bible translations were really equivalent to their original linguistic counterparts. To be clear, I am in no way delegitimizing any criticism of the Bible, as much of it is very well and good. What I am trying to articulate here, is that I had now been reading modern English translations primarily for academic purposes and had lost the desire to use them for the sake of personal devotion.
I had the privilege of growing up in a bilingual household where my mother would often talk to close friends and family in Jamaican Patois, a distinct dialect spoken in her homeland. I occasionally spoke in this form of Patois myself, but it came out with a uniquely American flavor as I had been much less exposed to Jamaican culture. There was simply little room for me to think critically using the Patois language, as the schools and churches I attended spoke American English for educational purposes. Besides, using Patois phrases in public would often bring unwanted attention (“Hey Josh, can you say this in Jamaican?”), so I figured it was best to only speak the language only when it was necessary.
A few months ago while surfing the web, I came across a video promoting Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testament, a recent New Testament translation sponsored by the Bible Society (UK). I was a bit skeptical at first, but after watching a few sample videos on YouTube, tears began to roll down my face. For the first time, the voice of the Word was not coming to me as a white professor, white preacher, or some other American English format. Instead, I found the Word speaking to me in the Jamaican way, with the speaker’s dialect on the video matching the same tone my mother used at home. Quickly, I ordered a copy off Amazon, and rejoiced when it finally came in the mail.
I haven’t read Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testament daily, but it has still been a significant blessing in my life. Overall, I have seen positive growth in speech and pronunciation, and feel better connected to my Jamaican roots. But more importantly, I feel more in touch with my faith, and have been able to share my experiences with other believers.
It is easy at times for bogged-down Theology students to feel they as if they are stuck in academic ivory towers, far removed from the urgent needs for ministry in the larger world. While not neglecting necessary obligations, such students must make efforts to step back and celebrate other translations that are reflective of the global church. We need to see how God is coming down to all of his believers, and even if we are unfamiliar in how they speak, we can still learn much from them in how they go about their spiritual practices on a practical scale.
