I Hear You But I Don't Understand

I HEAR YOU BUT I DON’T UNDERSTAND!

A post from “Life of Fred Math” which claimed to be a limerick totally flummoxed me until provided with a translation.  I needed a math interpreter to help me understand.

            A dozen, a gross, and a score

            Plus three times the square root of four

            Divided by seven

            Plus five times eleven

            Is nine squared and not a bit more.

The need for interpretation has long been accepted as a given for cross-cultural communication.  Unless you can speak to someone in their language, understanding proves extremely limited, consisting of smiles, gestures and facial expression.  Missionaries often spend the first years of their assignment in language study.

Post-modernism has brought our own nation to a place of such spiritual illiteracy that translation is almost a necessity when sharing the gospel.  Biblical language has become a type of jargon understood only by those who attend church.  The unchurched may well be thinking “I hear you but I don’t understand” even if those words are not voiced.

One of the reasons for this dilemma comes from post-modern communication theory which says that words only mean what a person thinks they mean instead of having a meaning which comes from the intent of the original speaker of those words.  So if a person believes that God means a “higher power,” that is what the word means to them.  Explaining the God of the Bible to such a person demands an explanation or translation.  If salvation means “freedom from oppression through political activity,” then talking to someone about Biblical salvation will be subject to total misinterpretation.

Even familiar Sunday School lingo such as “give your heart Jesus” or “washed in the blood” may be misinterpreted at best and absolutely confusing at worst.  We may assume we are communicating when in reality we are speaking in a foreign language.

Another reason for the lack of understanding between those who seek to share truth about God and the unchurched comes from the fact that believers talk about subjects in which the average person has no interest.  We talk about sanctification and redemption and atonement--and well we should.  But those whose attention we are trying to turn to spiritual matters are talking about economics and stock portfolios and the World Series.  In order to awaken an interest in the spiritual we need to engage them where they live.

One creative attempt to provide such engagement is being tried by Christ Together Greater Austin.  Noting the wide-spread interest among all types of people in near-death experiences, they are producing a city-wide media campaign which will begin with that topic and open doors for greater spiritual conversations.  My blog next week will investigate that endeavor in greater depth.

One way to discover if your spiritual language remains foreign to your friends comes from knowing those friends well enough to read their facial expressions.  If eyes are saying “I hear you but I don’t understand,” take a page from “Life of Fred Math” and provide translation.  When Christ became a man he spoke the language of the people.   Surely in serving Him we can do no less.