A Conversation for Everyone

There is a great post over at Jesus Manifesto today concerning the problem of academic terminology in a conversation that seeks the involvement of everyone.

As one guilty of slipping into terms & ideas of academia with an assumption that they are understood, I am grateful for this post.  I think many feel these frustrations, but in the cycle of intimidation don’t want to say it publicly.  My wife has been wonderfully patient with me for years.  She is very interested in the conversation and doesn’t want to be lost in confusing lingo & technical terms, so she will [try to] stop me when I begin to condense ideas into obscure terms.

I have also experienced terminology issues in my efforts to bridge conversations with people from various denominations.  Every tribe has their own terms, and sometimes it is more difficult because it’s not a matter of not understanding what the other is saying — but having a different understanding, and making an assumption that their definition is the same.

This awareness has helped me over the last 16 months to be more intentional about unpacking my ideas.  I call it speaking from the definitions.  This is something I try to remind myself of whether I am posting on my blog, writing a paper, or simply having a conversation.  Speaking from the definitions helps everyone feel welcome to participate in the conversation, and be better understood.

I could go on and on to someone about being incarnational, but our conversation would be more successful if I would simply move beyond the word and say that I feel we should look at how God became human in Jesus, and lived among us & with us despite how we lived & acted.  Then we should apply that to our own lives, and live out in the community among our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors & strangers.  We should share life with them, get to know them & let them get to know us.  Only in such an intimate relationship can someone truly see Jesus in how we live & (re)act with other people.

Is that a lot more for me to say?  Yes, but by unpacking the term I have helped someone who has never even considered this idea, to see it & understand so that they can have a further conversation with others & me about such an idea — and hopefully find application to their own life.

My message to everyone who feels intimidated and/or frustrated at times is to please speak up!  Often times the offender doesn’t realize that they exclude people by their wording, and would want to know if someone is intimidated to enter into the conversation.  Many of these blogs were created for the purpose of sharing ideas and inducing conversation.  Yes, there are some people out there who wish to simply spew their own ideas to those who are ‘wrong,’ but you usually can identify those blogs by the absence of the option to post comments.

Speaking for those blogging in the emerging conversation – we are here to talk with one another, to share in our ideas & struggles as we seek a better way to follow Christ.  For this conversation to be successful it must include peoples of many backgrounds and contexts.  To see how we are struggling with different issues & ideas, or the same struggle from different sides – and to bring wisdom that often comes from someone outside of the situation or experience.

I am blessed by the wealth of wisdom that I have received from others, and most of it is not from academia.  Those greatest bits of wisdom that are life changing often come from the people you might not expect.  This is because we wrongly think that the important, prophetic messages will come from a great mind, but in reality they come from a great heart.

Many thanks to brother Ariah for keeping me aware.