Editor’s Note: A World of Our Own

Sarah Eshleman
Editor in Chief

But do you know who’s not making magazines and clever headlines? Meerkats, barracudas, warblers, anoles, and earwigs. True, the animal kingdom symphonizes with its own glorious sounds. But as Dr. Kaia Kloster points out in her article, “Speak!”, animals don’t have the capacity to wax eloquent about the moon or compose novels or record history.

The capacity for human linguistics eludes animals. Of course, to be fair, we humans will never experience the bloodhound’s olfactory capabilities 1,000 times stronger than our own, or glimpse the world through a peacock mantis shrimp’s eyes with 12 channels of colors rather than our 3, or taste with the catfish’s 175,000 taste buds instead of our 10,000.

Some scientists and philosophers call these individual perceptions of the world umwelt (OOM-velt), a German word meaning “environment” or “surroundings.” Each creature experiences its own umwelt, a “self-centered world.” Not surprisingly, language and communication play a significant role in our experiences. For example, I can’t comprehend calling a friend by scraping my wings together like a cricket or thumping my head on underground tunnels like the African demon mole rat to send vibrating messages to unwelcomed neighbors.

Humanity’s umwelt expands far beyond that of the animal kingdom’s due to the mandate in Genesis 1 that tells us to rule over creation. But to rule over creation, we must first understand it through scientific research. A burgeoning field of research has humans eavesdropping on nature’s conversations, attempting to listen in on the mating calls of whales, and trying to translate the waggle dance of bees. But bonobos aren’t studying human senses, and toucans aren’t considering our customs. Humans alone have the capacity to live in not just our own world but also the world at large, studying animals’ experiences, though we can never fully enter them.

But perhaps what most sets apart our umwelt is our relationship with God as his image bearers. My dachshund can smell a rabbit on the breeze from miles away, but he cannot accept Christ as his Savior or receive comfort from the Holy Spirit. And though his expert design might point to the glory of his Designer, he cannot convey messages of spiritual exhortation to his doggy brethren.

As you read this special language-themed issue, revel in your umwelt—the ability to write a statement of faith or cry emotional tears or concoct 600 variations of pasta. Then use your words to praise the Creator, whom you get to call by name.