A threatened language receives fresh hope from an unexpected source
Erosion has taken its toll on the Astare* people.
Centuries of deforestation and overgrazing have decimated the land so that it can no longer support this farming population in their mountain villages. But a different kind of erosion is threatening something far more precious than good soil.
The everyday language of the Astare people is at risk.
There are people who want to eliminate the Astare culture from their country. So, they have circulated claims that the Astare language is “feeble” and “cannot meet current communication needs,” a Bible translation project leader explains. Astare speakers themselves know better, but the sheer weight of the stigma wears on them.
They have longed for a way to refute these ideas about their language and reclaim their cultural identity.
Most Astare follow a world religion that is opposed to Christianity or have adopted a view that all religions are corrupt. When the language affirmation they were looking for came through a translation project, they found themselves open to something unexpected: the Christian Bible.
“Our Language Is Sufficient”
The translation of the New Testament, a Seed Company-partnered project that began with the book of Luke in 2018, has helped foster a renewed confidence among Astare speakers.
“We guessed that translating religious texts is difficult,” community leaders told translation project staff. “But we knew that the Astare language was also rich enough to give the meaning of such a difficult text. You have proven this with the Bible translation. Our language is sufficient to meet the communication needs of our age. … The Bible translation promotes our language internationally.”
Christian Faith Brings Freedom
At the same time, the translation project has demonstrated that Christianity embraces all people—and all language groups.
The Astare feel that other religions make no contribution to their language, and the majority religion of their own people even plays a major role in its deterioration. But the Christian faith is introducing them to a God who speaks their language.
When a translation team member told one Astare speaker about Christ, the young man began to understand where Christian love comes from. “I only wanted this Bible because it was in Astare,” he replied. “But now, after what you told me, I wonder what kind of person Jesus was.”
The project leader says, “My prayer is that those who receive the Astare Bible will understand that the Lord has come not only to liberate their language but also to give them eternal life.”
*Pseudonym
