For a long time in linguistics it was assumed that people were born with a blank brain. As children we learnt languages bit-by-bit.
PICTURE: Adam Solomon/Unsplash
Then Noam Chomsky demonstrated that this was not true at all. Humans are born with our brains pre-wired for language. We have this amazing innate ability for words that no other animal has.
Without languages we can’t communicate as we do, we wouldn’t be self-conscious, we couldn’t think. We can’t develop complex relationships, communities, technology, innovation and even love.
Is this the divine nature that God has put in us? The ability to communicate, language, words? If God is a speaking God, who wants to commune with us, it stands to reason that being made in His image would include the ability to speak back.
Really amazing.
Paul Clark’s musings can be heard on radio across Australia and at atthetop.org.au.