"Isms" London Blog #2

When I listen to the language of London, I feel sort of nostalgic as I reminisce about a favorite rom-com or chick-flick filmed on these same streets. But then I have to peel back the layers of nostalgia to listen more closely, and in doing so I have documented some of my favorite “British-isms” I have heard so far. You are probably already familiar with most, but I would like to share the ones I have recorded; sneakers are trainers, a line is a queue, an elevator is a lift, to watch your step is to mind the gap, and the toilet is a loo. In addition, I have met an Aussie friend in the short time I have been here who has also taught me some great isms from down under; a heap is a ton, so you might have heaps of work to do instead of a ton of work. I would ask someone to shoot me an email, but she requests that I flick her an email. And I might hang a left at the next street while she would chuck a left. None of these isms create a language barrier, but they do require me to listen more closely. That’s where I discover the Divine. God hears all our isms as well, and he wants us to hear his. Only his are not so difficult to discern. They are printed plainly in the Bible, translated into thousands of languages. And as I travel the streets of London, I walk to the beat of Isaiah 52:7; “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” When I share the good news of the gospel on the streets of London, I feel thankful to know that God speaks and hears all languages and that he knows all the isms.