Hi friends,
The other day I was out running errands and I passed Jeannette's favorite coffee place. I thought, "I should get some coffee for my wife." So I pulled up to the drive-thru window, which was on my left side. I ordered the coffee, reached for my money, and started handing the money out the window with my left hand, which would be natural. But my brain temporarily forgot which country I was in. I quickly switched the money to my right hand, because in Tanzania, you never give anything with your left hand. The left hand is dirty (I won't explain why, just trust me). You only pass things with your right hand. It's extremely important to follow this cultural practice. So my brain temporarily forgot what country I was in. I switched the money to my right hand and very awkwardly reached all the way across to get the money out the window. I must have looked very silly. Well, eventually I got the coffee, brought it home to my wife, and she was very happy.
Now, why am I telling you this story? I'm currently typesetting the book of Acts in the Bende language of Tanzania. The translators wanted an illustration of someone being healed by the apostles in Acts 3. I found this illustration of Peter reaching down and touching a lame man.
However, this illustration would be offensive in Tanzania because Peter is reaching with his left hand. It's inappropriate, taboo, and therefore very distracting for our readers.
Thankfully, in my typesetting software, I'm able to flip the illustration like this:
Now Peter is reaching down to the lame man with his right hand. Nothing offensive. No distractions. Now the readers can focus on the meaning of the story and the power of God's Word.
This is just a tiny glimpse into my role as a typesetter. My job is to make God's Word clear and attractive and accessible to all people.
Thank you again for your support!
{If you haven't joined our team as a prayer and financial partner, we invite you to be a part of this amazing ministry. Check out our Wycliffe partnership page here: https://www.wycliffe.org/partner/2EBEFB}
