Yesterday
whilst travelling on the Tube I sat next to a women having three phone
conversations during the time it took us to travel from Harrow to Baker Street –
not an uncommon experience these days!
However, the thing that struck me was that, although she was speaking in
a beautiful Arabic tongue, a number of standard English phrases or words keep
popping into her conversation. In
mid-flow I heard: BBC, OK, cashback, USB
stick...I confess I sometimes felt a smile cross my face when they came up and
at one point almost got the gist of what she was saying. You understand I don’t usually make a deliberate
habit of listening in to other people’s conversations – but at times it’s hard
not to.
Language is so important.
Last week at our AFC Book Group we looked at Steindl-Rast’s Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer and in it he says: We should not talk as if it were perfectly clear what one means by God, by prayer, or even by religion. Today these words mean different things to different people.
I think he’s right – and probably at no time of year is that more so than during these days leading up to Christmas.
Last night I was at Amersham’s Community Carol Service at St Michael’s. It was packed out with five local schools taking part, each bringing much warmth and laughter to our time together. Yet at one point I wondered what folk in the congregation – folk who don’t usually come along to church – made of the words of some carols such as ‘veiled in flesh the Godhead see’ – or even if it is right for us to put words such as ‘I love thee Lord Jesus..’ into the mouths of those who, in another context, wouldn’t want to say them at all. I confess I didn’t ponder these questions over long as I recognise the value that ‘folk’ religion still holds at this special time of year.
On a more personal level I’m constantly aware of the power of language and that it’s often not what we say in an email, conversation or set of minutes that matters as much as the ‘way’ we say or phrase it. No wonder James urges us to beware of the tongue.
The opposite is, of course, also true. When struggling to find the words to say to a bereaved or ill person it’s often just the fact we’ve bothered to say anything at all that is appreciated.
In a way our whole life ‘says’ something – whether that’s through the language of words, deeds or personality. Something that we might ponder as we hear that most profound of statements over the next few weeks that ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us’.
Best wishes,
Language is so important.
Last week at our AFC Book Group we looked at Steindl-Rast’s Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer and in it he says: We should not talk as if it were perfectly clear what one means by God, by prayer, or even by religion. Today these words mean different things to different people.
I think he’s right – and probably at no time of year is that more so than during these days leading up to Christmas.
Last night I was at Amersham’s Community Carol Service at St Michael’s. It was packed out with five local schools taking part, each bringing much warmth and laughter to our time together. Yet at one point I wondered what folk in the congregation – folk who don’t usually come along to church – made of the words of some carols such as ‘veiled in flesh the Godhead see’ – or even if it is right for us to put words such as ‘I love thee Lord Jesus..’ into the mouths of those who, in another context, wouldn’t want to say them at all. I confess I didn’t ponder these questions over long as I recognise the value that ‘folk’ religion still holds at this special time of year.
On a more personal level I’m constantly aware of the power of language and that it’s often not what we say in an email, conversation or set of minutes that matters as much as the ‘way’ we say or phrase it. No wonder James urges us to beware of the tongue.
The opposite is, of course, also true. When struggling to find the words to say to a bereaved or ill person it’s often just the fact we’ve bothered to say anything at all that is appreciated.
In a way our whole life ‘says’ something – whether that’s through the language of words, deeds or personality. Something that we might ponder as we hear that most profound of statements over the next few weeks that ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us’.
Best wishes,
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