Don Hammond / DesignPics
It's OK to Talk Like a Christian
In the video "Stuff Christians Say," two guys toss around a dictionary's worth of Christian lingo: non-denom, God thing, secular, relevant. It's funny because the actors sound like the people we all know who repeat the latest religious phrase until it becomes ubiquitous and meaningless.
As I watched, I hesitated to dismiss some words used in the video, terms like fruit, struggle, moderation, and fellowship. These biblical words may seem strange to outsiders, but rightfully belong on the lips of Christians. They were misplaced in an attack on silly religious jargon.
I get it. It's a comedy video, not meant to be parsed alongside Greek verbs, and I agree that there are legitimate criticisms of "Christianese." Christians shouldn't use words to create a secret society, rife with inside joke or hide behind our language, allowing it to encourage hypocrisy.
That said, I'd like to put in a word for talking like a Christian, for using substantive, Biblical words in ordinary conversation, whether or not non-Christians are listening. What we say defines the world as we understand it, and God requires us to use our words to share our beliefs.
In Talking the Walk, Marva Dawn writes, "During the last century, English-speaking Christians have been stressing that we should 'walk our talk,' that our way of living should match the values we espouse. That Christians frequently don't act on what they know and say is still a problem…. However, the opposite is often increasingly true: that the way we talk doesn't offer the deepest truths of the Christian faith."
James 4:13-16 gives us a helpful example of what Christian speech should look like:
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and make a profit" –yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Using the simple phrase "Lord willing" in ordinary conversation can be a good thing. It's not complicated and not hard for a non-Christian to understand. It reinforces an attitude of submission to the Lord. It's not an inside joke—it's a testimony. It points to the reality of the way Christians should live their lives.
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Jim Ricker
Audrey - it isn't a maybe at all, the Scripture make it clear as day. "After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”" The Greek is, "λαλιά" which is transliterated "lalia" and is known by the linguists to be of an accent. The Strong's Concordance number is G2981 and he meaning is, "dialect, mode of speech, pronunciation -speech which discloses the speaker's native country" according to ALL scholars and resources whether they be considered 'conservative' or 'liberal.' Jesus was a Galilean and so was Peter and THAT is why they knew him by his accent. The truth is clearly shown to us by those who know the language and those who know how to interpret. Denying the clear and plain truth would not be the way to go Audrey.
audrey ruth
Maybe so, Jim. Maybe so. :)
Jim Ricker
Audrey Ruth, Peter's speech had nothing to do with Jesus except they both had a Galilean accent. That had nothing to do with 'sounding like Jesus' because of Jesus. It was akin to Jesus and Peter being from Roswell, GA and they sounded alike by their regional accent.
Bob Bobo
I understand what your trying to say. In all the talk about reducing "chistianease" don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Allthough i generally agree. The author has to understand that the teachings from the past 30 years in most evangelical churches involved telling christians exaclty what to say, and invloved a language that was certianly "christianeas". The bottom line here is not to worry about how you talk, or what words to say. Its about praying and asking the Lord to use you during every conversation. In my opinion, looking to place any phrase like "Lord willing" in a conversation simply becuase your taught to will never bare "fruit". Just be yourself. And actions still speak louder than words in our society where words are practiced more than action.
audrey ruth
This brings to mind the Scripture which says that, when Peter was hanging around the fire with those who didn't believe in Jesus, denying the Lord as he did so, those around him recognized by his speech that he "had been with Jesus". How ironic, since he so desperately wanted to convey the opposite. Oh, that our speech should say this to an unbelieving world!
e 8305
"They were misplaced in an attack on silly religious jargon." Just wanted to ask the writer if they considered this was more about the context & overuse of the words, than the actual words themselves.. I think the whole basis of the "stuff__people say" isn't about the literal words- but the culture behind how they are used..
Michael Constantine
That which the author is saying speaks into my life. We actually talk like that, and no one else does!
JANET W
Hmm. "Lord willing". I just don't see how that's evangelizing in the least. In the wrong setting, it comes off as unprofessional or maybe even "superior" in nature. Good works, talking about our motivation to do good, I'd think is far more effective in showcasing God's power in our lives. I don't particularly like christian-ese. I don't come from an evangelical background and so all the social norms of the evangelical sub-culture are not easily navigated by me. I prefer to simply be a christian rather than having to learn some sort of verbal secret handshake.
Jim Ricker
Here is a pretty good way to know if your language is like speaking gibberish (and not God-honoring because it like speaking in tongues without an interpreter); does the other person understand what you are saying or are their eyes glassed over? If they can carry the conversation with you then you're fine. If the people around you have no idea of what you are speaking, loo like deer in the headlights or show other signs of lacking comprehension - you're not being led by the Spirit. My favorite Old Testament prof said, "If you're using "antediluvian" outside of a group of scholars, most likely you're about as effective as a clanging cymbal or a crashing gong. Speak to your audience and/or the people you are with."
Rick Dalbey
This is youth group leader talk. It is the language of those in the Christian promotion and Christian public relations business, christian TV, and commercial christian radio. It is american cultural christianity talk. It is, for the most part meaningless jibber jabber. The really cool Christians and radical pastors in Portland, (my city, the retirement community for 20-somethings), now hang out in taverns, write their memoirs in pubs, smoke cigars, talk about stouts and ales and swear like, well, rebellious youth group leaders from the suburbs. They wear faux hawks, 4 day old beards, skinny black jeans, huge black frame glasses, and black converse tennis shoes. They are relational, intentional, missional, accountable, radical, authentic, talk a lot about social justice and vegan food and pretend to enjoy coffee. They're stylin'.
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