I was musing this morning about words from other languages that encapsulate a spiritual truth better than the word or phrase as it would be rendered in English. This not only kept my mind busy on the journey into work but struck me as a rather useful series of talks for the Ski Trip next year. But as ever I may need some help with this one and would love some more suggestions.
So far, I have
> Sehnsucht (German): A sense of unfulfilled longing or yearning
> Shalom (Hebrew): A holistic peace that affects more than self and is a completeness
> Ubuntu (Bantu): "I am because we are" Self being in the sense of, and contribution to community
> Acedia (Latin): A spiritual malaise or lethargy
I need at least another four ............
I was pondering Oikos but you have ubuntu so perhaps Kairos or something else in Greek?
I am endeavouring to put my French, Spanish and Italian brains in gear for you!
Kairos is a good suggestion
Also, although a phrase, the french for the flesh or the fallen self is good: L'homme animal
Angst?
Weltschmerz?
Tristesse?
Anomie?
Thanks David, reckon there is some mileage in Anomie.
In English we don't don't discern between what the Germans call Eule and what they call Uhu. We just call them both 'owl'. Also, there is no German word for 'put' - an item must be either laid or stood, depending on it's shape. I'm still working on where the spiritual truths are.
Even further off topic, all though not completely because it's about another language, (also a little bit rude) did you notice in the olympic closing ceremony that the French for "mayor of London", sounds the same as the French for "poo of London"?