Many Christians are bilingual.
They have a language of purity and a language of profanity. Can we have a
language of purity while maintaining a language of profanity? Can we be fluent
in purity while engaging in profanity? Do we think in the language of purity or
the language of profanity?
Manifestations of the language of
profanity include “spin” and passivity, which have been touched on in previous
posts. Two other manifestations are the language of human anger and the
language of common profanity. By common profanity I mean that group of words
that once was commonly recognized as “profanity” as well as combinations of words
that conjure profane word pictures.
As I’ve written before, an ethos
of anger is a grave danger to the American church. The world lives in the chaos
of perpetual anger, and that anger has been welcomed into a significant segment
of the professing church. As James writes, “…the anger of man does not achieve
the righteousness of God.” James associates anger with filthiness and wickedness (see James Chapter One). We excuse our
anger and insist that it is righteous
anger; is it? Is it over the poor and the needy, the disenfranchised and
downcast? Is Christ, the Prince of Peace, the source of our anger? That is, is
Christ animating our anger? If so, it is reasonable to expect that anger to be
expressed through us in humility, love for those with whom we disagree, no
matter how wide the chasm of disagreement; sacrificial living, and a denial of
self interest.
Popular media feeds anger; not
reflection. Popular media perpetuates confrontation; not thoughtful dialogue. Imbibing
the waters of popular media is not drinking at the still waters of our Good
Shepherd. We become what we gaze upon, we become what our soul partakes of, and
listening to and watching perpetually angry people is the antithesis of allowing the peace of God to rule in our
hearts (see Colossians 3:15; James 3:17). There are also angry churches,
churches that preach continually what they are against rather than preach what
they’re for; rather than preach Jesus Christ. This is a profanation of language
in thought and word.
That language of common
profanity, as defined above, is a secondary language that much of the
professing church engages in with increasing comfort. It is a language that has
polluted pure language; can pure language be pure with impurities?
Can a holy people watch unholy
actions for entertainment with impunity? Can a holy people invite unholy images
into their hearts and minds for entertainment and remain holy? Can a holy
people listen to unholy language for entertainment without consequences? Was
ancient Israel able to
introduce idols into the Temple
with impunity? Were there no consequences when they setup idols on hills and
street corners and brought them into their homes?
When we stand before our Lord
Jesus will we say, “But Lord, surely you must excuse my indulgence in
profanity; after all Lord, everyone was doing it, and entertainment is an
inalienable right.”
“What’s that Lord? You had
thoughts for me to think? You wanted to fellowship with me? You wanted me in
relationship with others for our mutual blessing? You actually wanted me to
talk to my wife on a daily basis? I was supposed to spend time with my children?
I was really supposed to live a life of prayer?”
“Oh no! You mean what Paul wrote
about being the Temple
of the Holy Spirit was true? I actually did bring idols into Your Temple? You
really wanted me to be Your Presence in my family, neighborhood, and vocation?”
“Lord, is there anyway I can do
it over again?”
To be continued…
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