Radar Brightness

  In our navigation space, with radar
and chart plotter on the screen behind
me (Photo B.Kuchel)

Why Bible translation? Why not just teach people to read in English?

These are questions I and my colleagues regularly encounter and this is a story I hope helps illuminate the reason for our work.

Before I came to PNG I worked at sea on traditional sailing vessels. For all our love of the traditional skills and ways, we were also equipped with modern navigational equipment. This included a radar that was interfaced with the GPS and the chatter plotter so that all the information was conveniently on one screen.

When I was first mate I would come on watch at 4am each day. I would have the radar screen set to its dimmest level so that I could read it without ruining my night vision. The dimness of the screen in the cabin allowed me to see more in the darkness around me on deck. Even at its dimmest I could read the screen from several metres away.

Around dawn the effect of the rising sun warming the air creates changes in wind speed and direction. On a sailing ship, this also creates plenty of work for everyone. As the day lightened, I would be busy on deck managing sail changes and so forth. When I next went into the cabin I would find I could not read the radar screen at all. The brightness of the day compared to the darkness of the screen left it useless for navigation. With the touch of a button or two I would have it back shining at a level I could use to keep us all safe.

Compass and sunrise

To me this is what Bible translation is about. When people first come to know God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus, they are living in darkness and the smallest spark of truth is light enough to guide them. Like a dim screen at night, it is enough to show the way. In fact, greater knowledge at that point would probably be overwhelming. Yet to remain mostly in the dark, with just a small amount of light, is not enough. As people come to live their faith, to live in the light, they need more knowledge of God to navigate by. Bible translation gives them a tool to navigate life. It makes the road map accessible for everyday use and puts it in local hands, rather than in the hands of an outsider or an expert. Teaching them English may be helpful for many things, but it rarely fully illuminates the heart. Translation into heart languages turns the radar screen up to be useful to people who want to live in the light.