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We live in a specialized world. We are way beyond information overload. It's now over the top.
YouTube videos show you how to do, well... almost anything. News media parade experts on top of experts with conflicting and opposing views, and the amount of websites, blogs, and email traffic number in the billions.
Are you worried about the rising oceans from global warming? Forget about it! We're flooded with a tidal wave of information inundating our lives every day, enshrouded in terminology and acronyms that require an interpreter.
Does anybody really understand what's going on?
It's the language
It would be easy to jump off from here into a discussion on the end of the age, and signs of the Lord's return. Especially with all that's going on in the Mid-East.
But I want to talk about the importance of language. Not the need for becoming bilingual or multi-lingual, although that would be valuable and advisable in our current times.
The language we use in everyday life is what I'm interested in.
Over the past several months, I've had the pleasure of interacting with many people of different backgrounds from mine, in various work environments. I've gained insight into the inner workings of street gangs, and gained some perspective on the current worldview of twenty-somethings.
Working three part-time jobs has given me this opportunity. Each work and social environment has its own collection of terms and catch-phrases. Thankfully, when I ask for explanations and clarification, people are happy to help me. Some also admit their own ignorance of these things at one time.
But there is one field that uses specialized terms and catch-phrases, and over used clichés, where ignorance seems to be bliss. I'm referring to Christianity.
An Illusion
A typical American Christian uses obscure, even archaic, language with the expectation everyone knows what is being said. But this is an illusion.
It may be a self-imposed, although I suspect for most it is unintentional. As a general rule, Christian believers are oblivious to this illusion. Because I'm in contact with non-believers and nominal believers in God, I'm keenly aware of this.
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When talking to non-believers I find it necessary to use simple, non-Christian wording to explain spiritual truths and concepts. When I answer a question about why the Bible says this or that, I'm intentional to explain things without the usual Bible terms, common clichés, and phrases Christians often use.
Does it matter? Yes, it does. A lot!
An obscure language
I read somewhere this week that an obscure language in a far away land will become extinct soon. Why? Because only a few people know and speak it, and they will die soon.
In a way, this is my hope for Christianese—the general term for all those Bible words and Christian catch-phrases and clichés. I would like to see Christianese become a dead language of sorts.
It's already dead in one sense—only those who speak it know what it means. Even many of those who speak it don't understand it well. It's self-limiting in that way.
Why? Because it closes off understanding for those who don't know anything about God and confuses those who have a limited knowledge of God.
Is there a solution? Yes!
Christian believers need to use simple and clear words when they share about their faith in Jesus. Even the simplest of words, like faith, for instance, need to be explained without quoting Bible verses and or using theological terminology. It's ok to use those terms and biblical wording, but make sure to explain what they mean with simpler words.
So "stay tuned to this station," I'll be coming back to this topic from time to time as I mentioned in a previous post.
In the meantime...
What is your experience with confusing Christian lingo?
I'd love to have you share it in the comments, and maybe I'll write on one of your experiences. ;-)
Thanks for reading and feel free to share this post!