I couldn’t understand a word the Chinese in the chip shop were saying but when they laughed I understood the language of laughter.

David Livingstone could often not understand the African language he required to tell them about the love Jesus showed in dying on the cross so that they could be forgiven. However, the people later said that they could read the language of love in his eyes!

Weeping is another universal language as the following story about Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) illustrates. Shortly before leaving to become a missionary in China, Hudson was working in a London hospital. He writes, “I had to dress the foot of a patient suffering from senile gangrene who probably had no idea he had not long to live. I prayed for help and managed to lessen his pain through special care. For this he showed gratitude so I tried to speak to him about his need of God’s mercy. Sadly he turned over in bed with his back towards me. I could not get the poor man out of my mind and constantly pleaded with God to save him before it was too late. Daily I tried to speak to him but one day I walked to the door without saying anything, then I looked back and saw he was surprised! I could bear it no longer. Bursting into tears I returned to his bedside where he listened as I spoke very earnestly and told him I would love to pray for him. To my joy he agreed and as I poured out my soul to God he was transformed and never ceased rejoicing in the grace of God until he went to heaven.”

Perhaps if Christians stopped complaining about people’s hard hearts, and asked God to soften their own, more people would be melted by the love of Jesus and repent. [ Psalm 126:5 ]