And behold, I am with y’all always, to the end of the age.

-Matthew 28:20b

Language is a beautiful thing. It can be used both poetically and descriptively to convey important ideas and information. Observing and explaining requires translation from what is observed to what can be said. And many times, those original observations must be translated again. Sometimes, they can be made clearer, and other times something is lost. Some languages have words others don’t. Pastor Gray reminded us this week that Greek carries four words for love, while we need adjectives to do the same job. Even within languages, dialects can lend flavor or clarification.

One of my favorite words as a southerner is “y’all” because it conveys a second person plural distinguishing you singular and you plural. While other regions of the US have terms like “you guys” and “youz guyz” and so forth, y’all is uniquely gender neutral and beautifully useful. We even have the emphatic (emphasis added) ALL Y’ALL for clarifying we mean absolutely everyone in a group and not just some or most. And it comes in handy. My Hebrew professor in seminary encouraged us to use it for our translations from Hebrew and Greek to lend specificity and deepen our meaning.

I love to translate the passage above as Jesus’ parting words to be that he will be with “y’all” till the end of the age. It reminds us he meant all of them… all of us. So when we gather at Christmas and remember the savior’s birth, we are reminded that Emmanuel is God with us. ALL of us. A love for everyone. And he will be with all of us till the end of the age. Y’all better believe it.

Prayer for Today

Lord, help me to celebrate the big y’all family we have in your son come to earth to dwell with us. Amen.