Wednesday, April 08, 2009

I stumbled in, barely putting one foot in front of the other, somehow found my way to the counter, and with every ounce of confidence I could pull from my cloudy brain said, "Could I get a tall latte?"

The problem. I wasn't at Starbucks. So, I stuttered and stammered until I found the correct words to say, eventually walking out with my latte in my hand and embarrassment on my face.

Language is paramount! Our context determines our language, or at least we should be sensitive to our context, so that we use the appropriate language. Part of the problem with not understanding our context when when we communicate is that our message becomes unclear. It is impossible to communicate the message if the hearer doesn't receive the message. If our message is as important as we say it is, then we must communicate it clearly. Better yet, we should know what we are talking about!

I often use words like sanctification, fellowship, church, Christian, but my culture doesn't really understand what these words mean, or they have a flawed understanding of their meaning because of what their context has reflected to them. Furthermore, I have got to understand the implications of these words, instead of just throwing them around like an infielder on opening day.

So...the issue is two-fold:
1. I have to communicate my message clearly to the culture in a language that is appropriate to their maturity and setting because the message is most important.

2. I have to understand the language I communicate and use it as it was intended. There is meaning behind the words used when communicating the message.

Finally, I learned that if we are to add credibility to our writing, then it's important to include a valid source, and philosophers are almost always a valid source. So, I will close with the words of the great Inigo Montoya:

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Keep the message clear, be sensitive of context, and know what your words mean.