Look to him, and be radiant.
—Psalm 34:5
Houston, Texas, is a multi-ethnic city where 145 languages are spoken—some you may never have heard of: Tamil, Urdu, Yoruba.
A lot of the residents in my apartment complex don’t look like me or speak my language—nor do I look like them or speak their language.
Nevertheless, we connect; we wave and smile—not in English or Urdu. We smile in a universal language.
Many a mother has told a grouchy, frowning child that their face might freeze that way. I’ve always doubted that—but I’ve encountered a few church folk whose countenance seemed to corroborate it.
Did you ever hear Ella Fitzgerald belt out Get Happy?
The sun is shinin’, c’mon get happy
The Lord is waiting to take your hand
Shout Hallelujah, c’mon get happy
We’re goin’ to the Promised Land
A smile is understood in every language.