11 March | Youth
«The men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” then they would say to him, “Then say, ‘Shibboleth’!” And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him.» Judges 12:5-6
Would you be able to identify the color of a person's skin by their voice on the phone? By listening to someone speak, it is possible to guess their age, gender and even the region they come from. But what about their skin color? I (Júlio) was amazed to discover that the difference in accent between an African American person and a white person in the United States can be so striking that, even without seeing them, I can know who is speaking! These differences, although normal, can become a reason for discrimination, rejection and prejudice.
If you ever suffer because of this, never think that there is something wrong with the way you speak. Your ethnicity or place of origin is not a mistake –it is a fact. If you do not know how to deal with it, the stigma of “speaking differently” can end up taking away your peace. This is what happened to the Ephraimites, according to the book of Judges. In the battle between the Gileadites and the people of Ephraim, not being able to differentiate the “x” from the “s” cost the lives of 42,000 men.
I once underwent a “shibboleth test” myself. At the time, I had been invited to speak on a television channel in Madrid. However, before going live, they wanted to know how I pronounced “z.” Would it be the Latin American way, or how it is pronounced in Spain? Luckily, they approved me.
With that experience, I learned that irrelevant details, in certain contexts, are crucial in others. I also learned that success does not always depend on you or how hard you try to fit the mold. Sometimes the way some people react to the fact that you are not exactly like them or like they would like you to be may not be pleasant.
I cannot imagine Jesus finding the way I speak strange, laughing at my accent, disdaining my vocabulary or how I conjugate verbs. He welcomed the Syrophoenician woman, treated the Samaritans with respect and interacted with all kinds of people, without caring about their status, education, or origin. He is our reference and inspiration. He is our Creator, and He wants to hear the melody of our voice. So, if you meet someone who thinks, speaks, and acts differently than you, treat them with respect!