Simple words
November 15, 2011 (Tuesday)
English is the international language of aviation, but pilots and air traffic controllers speak a special language alll their own. For instance, when a GA Pilot (General Aviation Pilot), is getting ready to fly, he must check AIRMETS (Airman’s Meteorogical Information) and SIGMETS (Significant Meteorologial Information) and METARS (routine aviation weather reports) before filing his EAPIS (Electronic Advanced Passenger Information System) to fly from CYYP (Toronto) to KORD (Chicago), flying IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) as the clouds are at 3000 feet AGL (above ground level) with RA and SN expected throughout the route. As the PIC (pilot in command) he must perform a PFI (pre flight inspection) and make sure the FBO (fixed base operator) put enough AVGAS in his tanks. Finally he squawks “1400” to the ATC (air traffic controller), announcing his ETD (estimated time of departure) to get clearance for takeoff from Runway 24 Left. I got all that from a TV program. There’s more, but this is enough to convey the idea of a special vocabulary.
Such special words are a part of almost every craft or profession. They are necessary to get the job done.
But sometimes we religious people use our own special vocabularies. We sometimes use words hardly ever heard out there in the real, every day world of commutes, offices, factories and stores. Words like Eschatology, Ecclesiology, Christology, and Soteriology are heard often in the seminaries, but seldom mentioned around the office water fountain. Even more common words we sometimes use at church are foreign to many people we see during the week. If we want to tell them the good news that Jesus saves, we will have to speak their language.
The song from “Sound of Music” says, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start..” Every person has that beginning place in his or her life. It may be unpaid bills, a broken down car or a wayward child. The stuff of life is brimming over with opportunities to help people. If we pray about it, the Lord will give us the words to say. Probably the best way to start is in your own daily life, showing by your deeds that Christ makes a difference in your life. Sooner or later an opportunity will arise to say something that will encourage the person to think about the possibility that maybe the Lord can help. Friendship can open doors for more direct approaches. Just ask the Lord to use you, and he will.