You may recall how I recently shared about my Iranian language teacher with whom I have been going over the Lord’s Prayer and various Biblical texts in our Zoom classes—in Farsi. Would the Holy Spirit, I wondered, who inspired the prophets and writers of Holy Scripture, also knock on the door of her heart? Last week we went over the Persian translation of the Nicene Creed, that beautiful confession of the ancient Church that describes the mystery of the Trinity: “…one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God….” My teacher remarked how much she enjoys reading and reflecting on these texts. “They give me a sense of peace,” she admitted. After discussing the grammar of each passage and having me read the Nicene Creed in Farsi, she suddenly changed the topic. “Can we talk about something different for a moment?” she asked. “Of course,” I replied. “If I wanted to start reading the Bible, where would I begin? Also, ideally, I would like to read something a bit philosophical…” “Well,” I replied, “A very good place to start would be the Gospel of John. Of the four Gospel texts, it is perhaps the most philosophical and it is also full of beautiful images: light and darkness [John 1:5]; Jesus Christ is the Word become flesh [John 1:14]; if one wishes to see the Kingdom of God, one must be born again [John 3:3]. “How much should I read every day?” she wondered. “As much as you like. But there’s no need to rush. Savor the text—like a fine wine or perhaps like caviar [for which Iran is famous]. Remember, the Bible is not like any other book. Each word in it is inspired by God Himself.” “Really!? I can’t wait to get started with the Gospel of John,” she exclaimed excitedly. Praise God! And I look forward to hearing how the Holy Spirit—“who proceeds from the Father and the Son…[and] who spoke by the prophets,” as the Nicene Creed explains, will continue to work in my teacher.
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