Actually explaining all this Jesus-stuff
On some level, I think a lot of Christians – myself included – don’t do such a hot job of breaking down the whole idea of the Christianity thing. It’s not because we misunderstand it or anything. I’d like to think that we’ve all got a pretty good grasp of it (with the exception of people that stand outside football games condemning people to hell).
I just mean that Christianity has this whole language that’s common within the context of itself, people get used to using it, and then it doesn’t translate well outside of it. I’ll even go as far as admitting that I have a hard time using some of the more common language. It just feels a little weird to me.
But whatever, the language doesn’t really matter. It’s the point of what’s being said.
For sometime, I’ve been trying to come up with a concise explanation of the whole Jesus-thing. You know, like what I’d say if someone were to ask me to summarize what I personally believe.
Last weekend, I was reading Blue Like Jazz and happen to come across Donald Miller’s take on it. Then I read it again. And one more time. I felt like his explanation is exactly what I’ve been trying to draw up, except he’s actually, y’know, good with words.
“The message is that man sinned against God and God gave the world over to man, and that if somebody wanted to be rescued out of that, if somebody for instance finds it all very empty, that Christ will rescue them if they want; that if they ask forgiveness for being a part of that rebellion then God will forgive them.”
After that, I got to thinking about all the different ways people share their explanation as to what Jesus is all about. It’s clearly evident that I’m not exactly an ace at this. I’d completely dig hearing how you verbalize the point of Christianity.
Seriously. Break it down for me.
This sounds a lot like part of the conversation we had during WordCamp this weekend. (of all places) I love finding meanings for old words I have been singing or saying. It’s adds so much siginificance to the song or context I found them in. I appreciate a prayer that includes a poetic way of saying how awesome God is. Along the same lines I get nauseous when I hear someone (or myself) repeating the word or phrase over and over again without meaning. The “christianese” (as @dewde labeled it) really turns people away and causes a language barrier to form. I have a 5 year old son who is immersed in Bible teaching from home, school, and church. I love that he is learning so much about the Bible but I would almost rather hear him cuss than say “I will glorify God with my heart”. He has no clue what most of those words mean and it scares me to think he could slip into a “christian coma” before he has the chance to really comprehend God’s desire for him.
Answering your question of how I would explain the whole Christian thing…(James 1:18) I will show you my faith by my works.
@dewde’s right. All cultures – social and corporate – have a culture in which a certain language is used. It doesn’t always work outside of said culture, either. Christianity’s no different, but it should be. I don’t think there’s a good reason people can’t simply talk about their faith without using “normal, everyday” words (for lack of a better term).
And thanks for your explanation. Good stuff.
You know, this post made me realize that I don’t verbalize the point of Christianity very much since I can’t come up with an answer. I can verbalize that I am a Christian, but then I usually end it with “You should come to church with me sometime at North Point. It’s not anything like you have experienced before”. That is good and all, but it’s me not taking responsibility, therefore making it so someone else has to carry the burden.
It comes full circle!
To me, verbalizing the point of it requires (a) conversations that actually take place around it and (b) a decent way of casually talking about it. I need to do more of (a) and I’m obviously working more on (b).
I see what you did there with the whole North Point and responsibility thing.
Truly, when I tell people I go to “Scum of the Earth” before hand, it opens up the conversation to stuff that normally might be tougher to swallow. Though, I hang out with people who would enjoy going to Scum and so their language is already a little different and they like to think themselves philosophical geniuses.
But as my life has recently taken this ridiculous turn, I am meeting more and more people in the world and this is something I need to think more thoroughly about.
Just checked out the site – that’s pretty cool. I’d never seen it before (or heard of it, for that matter). Like I told Adam, the conversation piece is just as important as actually presenting your belief in it.
What kinda ridiculous turn?
Ridiculous turn: I’m going through a divorce that I should’ve been going through several years ago and I’m technically homeless, though people are kind enough to offer roofs over my head.
Funny to see how much more accomidating and kind the secular world has been in comparison with the Christian world.
Really sorry to hear that on both accounts – divorce is always rough (with the exception of some very rare cases, maybe), and it’s never good to hear that Christians aren’t being the kinds of people they should be.
There’s a reason everyone loves Donald Miller. Or should. Those crazy word-smiths.
But even his awesome, pithy paragraph isn’t enough. (I do love it, don’t get me wrong)
Because if you were to throw that packaged answer into a genuine conversation, I’d imagine it would only raise more questions: “What do you mean gave it over? Rescued? How? What do you mean? How does God forgive?”
And the ever present “How does one man dying 2000 years ago have anything to do with my forgiveness?”
I think that the way we best explain Christianity in simple terms is in a way the person we’re talking to can understand. And that we understand ourselves.
I don’t have a good cure-all for it, I think the answer varies from conversation to conversation.
I see anything else being the equivalent of a spoken “Chick Tract.”
Those crazy word-smiths indeed.
I should’ve been clearer, too. I’m not gonna memorize this paragraph and then use that as my own – I just really respect and like the way he phrased it. It’s concise. It’s to the point. It’s casual.
All those questions you mentioned are right up the alley of this kind of stuff. There’s actually some notes I’ve written that may (or may not ever) turn into a full post on here about these kinds of questions, but I think their answers should all have one thing in common – they gotta make sense in the context of everyone. Not just Christians. That’d be some sorta fallacy.
Exactly! If it doesn’t make sense in everyone’s context, it really doesn’t make sense in anyone’s.
Oh I know you weren’t going to memorize it and throw it out. I doubt anyone would seriously suggest that ;)
Ha! Reminds me of a young cop reading the Miranda Rights on a note card before he arrests someone..
I think that the issue with this is that different people, who are not Christians, need to hear different things. Some people need to hear about Jehovah-Rophe (Healer) while others need to hear about Jehovah-Jireh (Provider) and still others need to hear about the many other things that Jesus is to all people. I think once Christianity is relevant to an individual life is when it becomes real for that person. I don’t think it’s so much about what happened 2010 years ago, although that’s obviously the genesis of our salvation, but about what he’s doing in our lives right now and how we can affect this world to further his name and will. History builds to the present, but the present is what we live. So, what I guess I’m trying to get at is it is not necessarily the phrase we use but how we can make relevancy in someone’s life lead to a reality of a relationship with Christ.
Oh, and Donald Miller is awesome. “To Own a Dragon” was one of my favorite books.
I’m almost through a second book of his. I’m considering trying to read all the stuff he’s written. Love his style.
Great stuff.
This in particular: “So, what I guess I’m trying to get at is it is not necessarily the phrase we use but how we can make relevancy in someone’s life lead to a reality of a relationship with Christ.” For me, I wasn’t so much concerned about the exact phrasing – just the relevancy and the point of what’s being said. If people don’t see (or hear, I guess) the relevancy of all of this stuff then it’s not going to mean much.
If it doesn’t mean much, then why bother pursuing any sort of relationship?
I saw this post and it got me thinking. I wrote a post for my blog about christianese, a while ago but didn’t post it. So I have posted it now, and it can say what my thoughts are about this way better then I could in a comment.
I think that one of the things that christians today in general have no really clear idea of what they believe. This is why you don’t here people putting there faith into words. They just go along with the flow, they have not really made there christianity there own.
I really like that you went ahead and posted your stuff. I think the American media focuses so much on the hypocritical Christians and very rarely focuses on those of us that actually get it.
Also, I absolutely agree that there’s a lot of people out there that kinda go through the motions that don’t always wanna wrestle their issues to the ground and figure out what they believe (let alone why).
That’s one of the reasons I started this whole thing – to be more transparent and honest about this kinda stuff. I always dig hearing from others doing the same, so thanks for the comment.