Christianese.

Have you ever heard use that term before? I hadn't until last night. But here's the definition (taken from the Urban Dictionary website):

Christianese

Christianese is the language spoken by Christians. It makes no sense to anyone unfamiliar with biblical texts, but earns you major points in the eyes of other Christians, because it means your words are hella holy. Common examples include: old man/new man, unblemished lamb, fruit of the spirit, washed in the blood, and let's not forget the ever popular born again. Christian: Brother, I felt like I was really backsliding, so I crucified my old man and put on my new man, and now the fruit of the spirit is evident in my life! Non-Christian: What did you just say? You speakin' Christianese?

Okay so, it's kind of funny. Kind of. But looking at the different definitions of the word on the website and how others described Christianity in association with it made me feel incredibly sad. There was so much mockery, underlying cynicism and scorn. I can't say that I'm surprised by this; Christianity can oftentimes appear to be a difficult and strange concept to understand. Brilliant theologian Charles Spurgeon addresses it this way:

"The world loves not the non-conformity of nonconformity, or the dissidence of dissent; it would have us be more charitable and not carry matters with too severe a hand. Death to the world, and burial with Christ, are experiences which carnal minds treat with ridicule, and hence the ordinance which sets them forth is almost universally neglected, and even condemned."

And though this is true and frustrates me deeply, this is not what bothers me in this particular case.

I am troubled about why there is a need for the term to begin with. What does the term's existence say about how we communicate with others as Christian people? About our ministry and evangelism?

Guys, this needs to be taken seriously. What good is it to speak in ways that others who don't know God cannot understand? How will they ever be able to hear the Good News that forever changes lives if they can't decipher what it is we're talking about  to begin with, and are instead being put off by Jesus entirely because of it?

The Gospel is for everyone, and should be presented as such. The Good News about Christ is not specific to a particular gender, race, or status. Let us not forget what Paul wrote to the Galatians,

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." -Galatians 3:28

I am not by any means saying that we should stifle what the Holy Spirit has molded our hearts and therefore our mouths to say. What a gift it is that God's done such a work in your heart to make such heavenly speech seem second nature to you!  Let's just make sure that we are reaching others in a way that they will understand.



To put it simply...


 More of this:

      

Less of THIS:

The apostle Paul tells us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), so where better to begin this new journey of effective communication than with the Grand Communicator Himself? Join me?

(Taken from the Heartlight daily devotional that can be viewed in its entirety here)

O Father, I pray for the Holy Spirit to move

 among your people in a mighty way to break 

down barriers that divide us and give us a

 sense of our common bond  through your Holy Spirit. 

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.