A Different Language
I’m taking a Spanish class and I listen to some of the more experienced speakers around me…yes…they are speaking another language. Oh, I can pick up a few words and get the main idea of a sentence, but I am so far away from being able to carry on a conversation!
In another class, Multicultural Children’s Literature, we talk about culture. One (of many) of the things that make a “culture” a culture is a form of its own language.
There are some cultures that cross other cultures and a person can be a part of different cultures. If we use a particular sort of definition of “culture”, a case can be made that Christianity has a form of its own culture.
There are words that we use that non-believers just cannot understand in the way that we do. They can “understand” the word, but do not “get” the sentence.
Submission: Christ on the cross, submitting to humanity’s need for a Savior. To those outside of Christ, submission is either a word they don’t want to hear, or it’s a perverted sort of submission with “self” at the core.
Justice: Getting what we deserve. To the world, it’s generally either “us” getting what we want, or somebody else suffering because of their actions.
Mercy: Not getting what we deserve. For us, it’s escape from hell, it’s safety from the world. For those not in Christ it’s getting off lightly.
Grace: Getting that which we do NOT deserve. Eternal life, life in Christ. How can one who does not have light understand the Light?
Sin: That which separates us from Christ. or…the “naughty stuff”
Forgiveness: we have been forgiven much, it is up to us to forgive much.
We use the same words, but we speak a different language than the world. We understand the world because we’ve been there. We want others to “get it” so we explain. But it is a different language.
I’m not sure where I’m going with this…I do know that there is a difference between working with Christians and non-Christians. Even with the same work ethic and standards, there is just a difference. We speak a different language.
It just hit me this evening (studying vocabulary) how different we are from the world…how different we are supposed to be. God helping us.
Awesome post.
We use the same words, but we speak a different language.
This is spot on. 🙂
I have been to Spanish classes too. I’ve had some students in my classes that have loved to “show off” how “fluent” in Spanish they are already. Then there were those who loved to teach the teacher. It was quite hilarious. I hope you got my email and if you still want to do coffee, I’d like that. Hey! Maybe we can practise a little Spanish together.
1Pe 2:9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
We are different…. and we should sound different… and I have know some very peculiar christians………………ahahhaha
hugsx0x00x
I think it’s true – we do speak another language. I think that’s why we need to try to be really clear when we speak to non-believers. What makes perfect sense to us may not be so easily understood by others. I, too, am thankful for the wonderful “language”we have.