In 1996, the Oakland, Calif., School Board ignited a national controversy when it attempted to recognize Ebonics, a sort of urban slang common among the city's African American youth that had roots in African language. Critics were appalled that the agency would validate what was seen as a dangerous corruption of standard English.

A similar debate arises now and then over the importance of multi-lingual communication throughout our society. Should school be conducted in Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog or other languages that children speak at home? Should all public messages be translated? Will communities remain divided if all do not adopt a common language?

The argument for translation in any setting usually claims that people learn best and respond best when they understand what they're being told. Insisting that people go to school, apply for drivers' licenses, receive medical instructions and other messages in a foreign language makes it likely that they will remain isolated and, at best, partly informed about their social and political environment.

Today we celebrate the ultimate translation event: Pentecost. With people from all over the known world gathered in Jerusalem, the disciples of Christ are overcome by the Holy Spirit and begin to preach, and everyone hears the disciples' messages in their native tongues.

They are not wearing headphones and receiving translated messages. Rather, the disciples are speaking, and the crowd hears the message as if the speakers are using their language. People are shocked: "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?" they ask. "Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?"

It may not be politically correct to translate government messages into the language of immigrant populations, but in today's celebration we find that it is certainly spiritually correct when it comes to articulating the message of God's saving love in Christ. Clearly, God wants people to hear and understand the message as clearly as possible, and remove any barriers to responding.

This is good news for all of us. While most of probably attend Mass and read the scriptures in our native languages, it is still good news that God wants to communicate with us as intimately and effectively as possible.

Linguistics aside, we also have different languages we use to experience God's love. We may need unexpected events to take place in our lives, or warm feelings, or special dreams. These and other experiences can be the media God uses to communicate with us, but only if we understand them.

Pentecost marks the unleashing of the Holy Spirit into the lives of Christ's followers, and of a new ability to receive and communicate the love of God to others in a language they understand, through words and deeds. It is an event of powerful inclusion, where God makes it clear that the risen Christ is available to all people, directly without translation.

All are invited to experience the good news, and all are welcome in the community of believers. We may speak different languages, but the love of God transcends them all.

Bill Peatman writes from Napa. He may be reached at bptidings@yahoo.com.