As I am in the process of learning Spanish and dealing with the frustration of not being able to effectively communicate with the majority of people I encounter, the concept of mother tongue or language of the heart has been on my mind. Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
IMM’s Heritage Project series has been produced in 10 languages to date, including both Moroccan and Egyptian Arabic. That was news to me that Arabic was different depending on the country. Again, this shows the importance of sharing the gospel in as many mother tongues as possible so it can reach the hearts of the people. Another unique thing about the Heritage Project and a number of other programs IMM has produced is that they are designed to have a national host, so the viewers see someone speaking their language while the drama parts have voiceovers.
“If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.” 1 Corinthians 14:9
Even though that verse refers to speaking in tongues, it is applicable to languages as well. IMM is working to not only get Jesus on Every Screen but also in as many heart languages as possible.