Uno.
Depending on the person, this is either the Spanish word for 1, a card game from childhood, or both.
For me, Uno used to be both, but after today, it has a whole new meaning.
Kirsten, Susan, and I were playing cards in our “hotel” when one of the men we have gotten to know from another church, Dima, walked in. We exchanged the usual pleasantries in broken English and Ukrainian and he proceeded upstairs to talk with the guys who live above us. A few minutes later, he came back down and sat with us.
About 30 seconds later, two new, young guys we had never met before walked in and we did the same attempted greeting between the two languages. We exchanged names and Dima made it a point to tell us which of the men were not yet married (but really, some of the people here are really trying to find us Ukrainian husbands so we can stay forever haha). Dima picked up the cards and started shuffling them. We asked if he wanted to play but he said no and a few other things in Ukrainian that we didn’t understand. Then, Andrei picked up the Uno cards on the shelf and we started moving chairs and getting set to play. Right about this time, the guys from upstairs came down and joined in.
The 8 of us didn’t speak the same language but there we were playing a game and enjoying each other’s company.
Uno has a sort of universal language- you play a draw two or a skip and the person next to you gives you a look that needs no translation. You play a wild card and change the color of the game by pointing at the color to make sure everyone understands in both languages.
Moments like these fill my heart with joy because language barriers do not have power over us. The enemy uses language and cultural barriers to confuse us or make us feel like there is no reason to be in a different country or no reason to even try getting to know someone because he or she won’t understand anyway. Well, you know what I say to that? Not today Satan
Today, a game of Uno was a gateway to smiles, laughter, and fun with new people. It was a way to make a situation that could have been awkward or uncomfortable into a time to fellowship together as the united body of Christ. Urkrainian? American? Brazilian? It didn’t matter sitting around that table (and if you skipped me, you better believe I was going to give you the same look whether you spoke my language or not).
At Christ’s table, all are welcome. Today was a sweet preview of the community that will exist in Heaven. Brazilians, Ukrainians, and Americans alike will all be able to sit around the table and rejoice together. We won’t have language barriers, just the mutual language of Heaven which I can only imagine is even better than the mutual language of Uno.
Today, Uno was a glimpse of Heaven and I will always be reminded of this particular moment whenever I hear “Uno!”
