The Bible and the Headlines: News You Can Use – Sign Language

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By David Bachelor, PhD

It was 60 years ago that the song, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” was first released. In the six decades since, this song and its haunting plea continues to resonate with our culture. The attraction is evidenced by a continual stream of new artists using the song in covers and movies. The quest to be understood is also the subject of headlines during this diamond anniversary. This time the plea comes from a group of people who cannot hear the song in its original format.

New York’s NBC-affiliate News 4 on April 22nd broadcast the story, “New NYPD Recruits Learning American Sign Language.” The video feed showed an auditorium full of cadets practicing the gestures necessary to communicate with non-hearing New Yorkers. The article reports, “For the first time, every new NYPD recruit is learning key phrases in American Sign Language.” Each officer will also carry a cell phone programmed with additional messages in ASL.

In Nevada, station KTVN 2NEWS featured on April 22, “Northern Nevada Is Lacking Sign Language Interpreters.” The article covers a program to train sign language interpreters offered by the University of Nevada. The programs director stated, “Interpreters aren’t only needed in high stake environments like courtrooms or medical emergencies, but deaf people would also like access to cultural events, to plays, or festivals, or reading groups.” The courses in ASL allow UN students to fulfill their foreign language requirement.

AI and high-tech are also helping to bridge the gap in understanding. On April 22nd the tech website Tom’s Hardware carried, “These Raspberry Pi-powered Glasses Translate Sign Language Into Speech.” The featured spectacles use a popular single board computer (Raspberry Pi) to take what happens in front of the glasses’ wearer (like a person signing) and turn these motions into video feed which is then translated into an audio message. These glasses “. . . make it possible for anyone nearby to understand what’s being conveyed, whether or not they are familiar with any sign language at all.”

People in the Bible also used sign language to be understood. The most common message was from a speaker to a crowd that the audience should quiet down (Act 13:16, Act 19:33, Act 21:40). Sign language was also present in the birth narrative for John the Baptist. John’s father, Zacharias, lost the ability to speak because he did not believe the Angel Gabriel’s message about his wife’s pregnancy (Luk 1:20). When John was born, family and friends “signed” to Zacharius to ask him what he wanted to name the baby (Luk 1:62). Zacharius made signs requesting writing materials (Luk 1:63). After he wrote the baby’s name was John, Zacharius was able to communicate again using speech.

Perhaps the most important question communicated through non-verbal communication happened at the Last Supper. After Jesus told His disciples that one of them would betray Him, the Bible says, “Simon Peter motioned to the apostle John for John to ask Jesus which of them was the betrayer?” (Joh 13:24). Jesus answered the question verbally and non-verbally so that there could be no misunderstanding the betrayer was Judas (John 13:26).

Until we figure out how to make every message as clear as Jesus did, I guess the song, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” will continue to celebrate anniversaries.