Was eating at Il Gabbiano on Key Biscayne Thursday night. One of Miami’s best spots. There are waiters everywhere catering to every whim a patron might have. They all speak perfect Italian…they know every item on the menu with specifics, all the specials and they put more food on your table than can be eaten.

The food is fantastic.

The view from the restaurant shows Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach…great stuff.

When the waiter was talking about the choices, his Italian and his Italian accent was very difficult to understand. He was talking perfectly, I was listening intently….but it was quite difficult.

Had I not been there before…I would have had a very hard time understanding him and knowing what I wanted.

And…..I thought of how people who visit Church are like I was sitting in a great and beautiful place, where people know their stuff perfectly well….the product is better than can be imagined…..and the visitor sits there not be able to grasp the language and understand the message.

The presentation is fantastic….but if the food / product cannot be explained understandably…..the patron who willingly came to purchase the product cannot grasp what he needs or would want.

We cannot show off our talent so well …and not be understood.

We have to do what I saw one waiter do…..when he realized a young Oriental couple, who were listening intently but could not read the Italian menu, nor understand his Italian language or accent….
he bent over, spoke in perfect English and instructed the confused patrons to see perfectly what the menu said and what his presentation meant in words the visitors could understand.

That’s our responsibility with our faith.
That’s our responsibility with people unaccustomed to our church lingo.

Speak to the ears they have.
It means nothing if it’s beautiful…but not understood.

Terry
November 22, 2014