How many of you speak Hebrew on a daily basis? Are there any out there who use Greek in their daily conversations? Unless you live in Israel or Greece or a neighboring country to one of these, you probably are not going to respond in the affirmative. Yet those are the languages that the original writing of Scripture contained. Add to that the reality that many scholars have told us that Jesus probably spoke frequently in a dialect of Aramaic and it becomes clear that the orignal language of our faith is not the English that is used in most churches in the United States today.
This reality came to me as I thought about the language of today. I was reminded this weekend about a concept that Bill Easum and Thomas Bandy put forth in their book, Growing Spiritual Redwoods. Easum and Bandy speak of the importance of speaking the language of the community (forest) that surrounds us. If we were to go into the world speaking Hebrew, Greek, or even Aramaic, we probably would receive strange looks and definitely would not be understood. So like Easum and Bandy, I would like to argue that we need to make sure that we are speaking the language of the community that we are called by the Lord to minister within.
In order for us to speak the language, we must understand the language and the methods of delivery that are common place in our surroundings. While it is true that English is the majority language of the community where I am located, that may not be true of all who read this blog. I also think that we need to gain understanding that the delivery method of information has changed dramatically in recent years. So while we may be speaking in the language of our surrounding culture, our message still may not be heard if we are using delivery methods that are no longer primary in the life of those whom we are called to share with.
It is clear to me that the deliver method of our culture is quickly becoming connected to the internet (Facebook, email, instant messages) and the use of cell phones (texting, tweeting, short phone calls). Therefore, I would argue that we need to be sure that we are not only using the language of today but also delivering the message by the means available and used today. I believe that this is the example that Jesus set when he was talking with the people of our time. It is the example we need to follow.
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