Why “Christian-ese” is Killing Your Voice We speak in code. Words and sayings that only “true” followers understand. We defend our insiders-only-speak and claim the Bible as linguistic proof. But what if our insistence on using words like “evangelism”, “God’s Word”, “justification”, and even “prayer” actually confuses our message? Here is what people really hear when you speak Christian-ese and how you can maintain your voice and message in a culture that may not speak your language: 1. “God’s Word” What people think it means: God has a password (and it’s not alphanumeric). English rarely uses “word” to reference anything beyond a few sentences or perhaps a conversation (i.e. “can we have a word?”). For long written works we have the strange habit of using the word “book”. Even the ancients favored simplicity in referring to our holy book as “Bible”, which in Greek simply means “book.” Say This Instead: “God’s Book”, “The Book”, or even “The Bible” 2. “Justification” What people think it means: an excuse for why my wrong was right. People hear “acquittal” when we mean “pardon”, “dismissal” when we mean “forgiven”. A slight difference, I admit. But one worth keeping. God never denies our wrongdoing. In fact, He insists on us admitting to it. But he does offer forgiveness and a pardon, a message often lost when we use “justification”. Say This Instead: “forgiven” or “pardoned” (this one keeps that judicial flavor) 3. “Faith” What people think it means: generalized belief in the existence of something. God couldn’t care less whether we have a generalized belief in his existence. What he wants to know is, do we trust him. When our car stops moving, our job stops paying, or our child stops breathing, will we still lean on his metaphorical shoulder and whisper, “I still trust you.”? So instead of asking if someone “believes” or has “faith”, consider asking if they “trust”. Say This Instead: “trust” 4. “KJV, NIV, NASB” What people think it means: [insert blank stare]. We all have our favorite versions. But add these letters to the already convoluted “1 Chronicles 13:2b-14c” and you have lost your audience. I understand copyright laws have their requirements but perhaps a short explanatory blurb would go a long way towards educating your audience. Say This Instead: “an NIV translation” 5. “Evangelism” What people think it means: that thing those people with ties and white collared shirts do on their bikes. I’m not bashing the door-to-door method, just highlighting that this is the image you conjure when you say “evangelism”. If you wish to refer to something other than the ask a complete stranger to let you in their home type of “evangelism” then you may need a new word. Say This Instead: “share Jesus”, “share Jesus’ story”, “share God’s story”, or even “share the good news” 6. “Prayer” What people think it means: “Hail Mary, full of grace. Our Lord is with thee…”, or perhaps a reference to someone in the upward dog position. The word conjures up rigid, uber-holy, religious images. But believers more typically are attempting to describe their morning talk with God. We shudder to think of prayer in such mundane terms as “talking”, but when you ask God to help the baby sleep, your mom to get over her cold, or even for the courage to share your faith with friends, aren’t we talking about pretty small and mundane things? But that’s the beauty of it all. God cares about small little us. Say This Instead: “talk with God”
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:07:10 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015