Language and Words

I have been thinking about language recently. I watched a marathon of “Anne of Green Gables” over the weekend. I love how Anne spoke!! She was always so descriptive about everything. She made language come alive. Within her words I found eloquent descriptions of the boring and everyday.

I also went to the KC Symphony on Friday night. If you go an hour early than you can hear Michael Stern (the Conductor) speak about the music that will be played. I always love those times listening to Mr. Stern use such descriptive language to help us all understand the music better. The words that he chooses are so vivid and make the music come alive in ways that I don’t get if I haven’t heard him.

Language, words and descriptions can be both so liberating in helping some see what can not be seen. Yet words can also be so limiting. It seems that I am frequently searching for the right words to convey to someone my thoughts and beliefs on a subject that are both concise and yet adequate to convey my meaning.

Wouldn’t it be nice if when it comes to issues of the Church and theology that we could all use the same words and definitions. Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to continually explain what we mean when we say certain common words. Yet in reality it is that ambiguity of language and words that has made us think more and work harder to articulate what we think, feel and believe. As much as I am at times frustrated by the constant defining of “what do you mean when you say X,” I am thankful for it because it is through that constant defining that we work out what it really is that we are trying to say.

It is through conversations where words take on meaning, and it is in the context of relationships that we begin to understand what belief or practice really is behind those words.