Kathy, over at Creating Passionate Users, has another insightful post about how we communicate with each other. Her point is that as we become more passionate about something and move towards being an expert on that topic, we begin to develop our own lexicon with specialized words. The words we use and the way we talk almost becomes like a foreign language to someone who is not familiar with the topic. She shares:
Listen in on a conversation between three airplane pilots, and–assuming you aren’t a pilot–you might understand 50% at best. Listen in on a conversation between three software architects, and even a new programmer might not have a clue. Snowboarders have their own terms. So do plumbers, photographers, librarians, ministers, dancers, realtors, musicians, graphic designers, and filmmakers (best boy? gaffer?).
Kathy is right. And, when it’s pilots talking to pilots, that’s OK. When it’s snowboarders talking to snowboarders, that’s OK. When it’s musicians talking to musicians, that’s OK. When it’s pastors or other Christ-followers talking to people who are normal folks who are just beginning to check out the claims of Christ, that’s not OK. When we speak our foreign Christian language, normal people don’t understand it. Think about it. Blessed. Saved. Witness. Born again. Grace. These words don’t mean anything to normal people.
Now, my point isn’t that we should dumb-down our message (though I’m sure that’s how others will interpret this because I’m a pastor at one of those evil megachurches that waters down the message just to fill seats). My point is that we can still talk about topics of the faith like atonement, incarnation, justification, redemption, and sanctification (see…I can use big words), but we need to put it in terms so that people who are just getting started can understand; otherwise, they’ll never become passionate followers.
Here’s the reality, though–Christians like to use big words. It makes us look like we know stuff that others don’t know. We feel more spiritual. For some reason I think that makes us feel better about ourselves. Kathy describes it this way:
Think about it… come on, really think about it. Somewhere in your past (maybe even within the last 48 hours), you’ve felt that little ever-so-slightly-I’m-better-at-this-than-you feeling that came from being able to keep up with a book, speech, or conversation that had words and phrases not known to "the rest of us."
Kathy is right. It does make us feel good. And, again, when we’re talking about flying airplanes, snowboarding or music, maybe that’s acceptable. When we’re talking about the claims of Christ, though, that’s pride and it’s not helpful.
I think it’s time we as a church consider how we’re "equipping the saints." If we’re just teaching people a foreign language, what have we really accomplished?
So, what’s the list of terms we need to be able to explain in plain English? Come up with a list and I’ll tackle one or two :-)
As a church planter, I’m in contact weekly with irreligious people in and outside my church who do not share the same history in the church that I do, therefore, they have not developed the lingo.
The more my new congregants began to grow and learn about God, the Bible, etc the more they began to come to an understanding of theological terms. I honestly don’t believe they enjoy using them to “one-up” others but like everything else in our growing vocabulary, it’s just easier (and faster) to use one word instead of 20 to communicate.
That isn’t justification for leaving Christ seekers in the dark, and making us feel smarter or more spiritually mature…it just happens. For us, it’s about our heart. I don’t think people mind us using theological words/terms when neccesary as long as we explain the concept and we do so with humility.
Much like us overhearing 2 pilot’s talking about landing the plane we’re on in an emergency. I want them to be professionals but at the same time I expect them to give me the information that will make me feel assured I’m getting home safe.
As a side note: the other day I was talking to a women who is new to Christ/our church and she agreed with me by saying “Amen”. Now we’re not an “Amen” church so it shocked me. I asked her about it and she said that Oprah uses the word.
I really liked your message. I do agree with what you are saying, sometimes we do get too “Preachy”. If a little child can understand faith-then we should be able to explain it to an adult w/o confusing him/her. The thing to keep in my mind is the “Message” still needs to be the same but the way we present it doesn’t have to be the same way our Grandparents did it.
Steph
“When we speak our foreign Christian language, normal people don’t understand it. Think about it. Blessed. Saved. Witness. Born again. Grace. These words don’t mean anything to normal people.”
My question: do all of these words or does this ‘language’ even make sense in the first place? Do Christians who use it even know what they’re talking about?
I agree. In all areas of specialisation, “technical” language is used because it communicates complex shared ideas succinctly, and I guess that’s okay.
But when communicating with those outside, simpler everyday language is needed. After all, the object is to communicate! Jesus himself seems to have used the language of the street, not that of the philosophers.
I too am a church planter, but among an unreached people of another language, and it is a helpful challenge to find ways of expressing spiritual truths in simple words.
Blessings