Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” He denied it again, with an oath; “I don’t know the man!” After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "We know you’re one of his disciples—we can tell by the way you speak, for your accent gives you away." 

Matthew 26:69-73

 

Peter was recognised as a Galilean and a disciple of Jesus because of his unusual accent. His accent would have triggered an instant dislike because a Galilean during that period was often perceived as vulgar, unrefined, and untrustworthy. So you can understand why, under the pressure of social discrimination and prejudice, Peter immediately denied knowing Jesus.

Whether we realise it or not, the church has an accent in the world. And the rest of the world is so used to its own accent that it has difficulty comprehending ours. It is difficult because, in our politically correct society, we may even be afraid to tell people we are followers of Jesus. The fear is that they will take a dislike to us and overlook what we have to say. We sometimes allow our self-consciousness to keep us from completely engaging with people and sharing the reality of God's grace and love. Evangelism is only one aspect of sharing the gospel. It is about loving people with the love of God through our words and actions. Often, our actions speak louder than our words.

That was what happened to Peter.

On the day of Pentecost, when everyone assumed the disciples were drunken and dishonest Galileans (Acts 2:7), Peter bravely testified in front of everyone. He didn't allow his accent to stand in the way of the gospel message since he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Many people believed him, and two thousand individuals were saved on that day.

We are Kingdom people with Kingdom accents.

Our accent shows our origin, and we originated from Christ. Don't be afraid to speak about Christ. But if you are afraid, pray for boldness and courage and God will surely answer you. We should remember that we have been given the most amazing message to share with the world and everyone deserves to hear the gospel at least once in their lives.