To Life

At family gatherings I’ve become the dedicated prayer giver before eating.
Not long ago I offered a Protestant preface to my wife’s Catholic family before offering a blessing.

“I’m the only person here who does not speak French and Haitian Creole...and for that I’m grateful.

I’m grateful that Noah will grow up learning not only the English Vanessa and I speak to one another; but also grateful he will know the first two languages of his grandparents and extended family...
In this spirit I offer a prayer which invokes a language none of us speak; but formed the culture of Jesus’ faith—Hebrew. The words of the prayer are: “L’Chaim, to life!”

I then gave thanks for the life of Vanessa’s grandmother who we made a special trip to see. I asked for her health and life to be cared for. L’Chaim.

I gave thanks for the life of her grandmother’s 10 children and their spouses, L’Chaim;

thanks for the lives of all of their children,

L’Chaim;

and thanks for the lives of 2 of her great grandchildren—who were at dinner speaking their own language of coo’s and goos. L’Chaim.

Because the prayer was spontaneous for our family, I did not lead it as a Pastor leading prayers in church, with the gathered saying in unison: “L’Chaim, to life!” as a response.

I kind of wish I had.

It seems to me that the whole family calling for life together may have framed one of my favorite images of Noah—even better than the mirror image of a photograph of me meeting my great grandmother with my father and his mother over 40 years ago.

I see in the picture my father smiling and probably thinking he and I are German; because his grandmother—who’s lap I’m sitting on—spoke German. In recent years I have learned through DNA tests neither dad or I were the kind of German he thought he was...my great grandmother all also spoke: Czech, Polish, and Russian.
In other words language doesn’t make you a citizen of a particular place. (God willing our son will speak at least the same 4 languages his mother speaks,)

A blessing may be a better predictor of the fuller identity we hope Noah will become.

A prayer...spoken in unison...in a language other than one used to make shopping lists, has the potential to elevate; and draw attention to life rooted in the particularity we’ve been born into...and at the same time transcend the limitations of place.

A common way many parents say it is the desire to give their children roots and wings.

Vanessa and I have been looking for ways to express our spirituality. We realize we have been shaped by the geography of place and language of our cultures. It’s why we took Noah on a flight to see his great-grandmother. It’s why we talk about my deceased dad frequently. We are grateful for our traditions...and we are trying to transcend their limitations.

A prayer “to life” and photographs of babies with multi-lingual great grandmothers are places to start even if we don’t have everything else figured out yet.

To life!