December 15, 2015 (Tuesday)
Yesterday’s blog about dialects brought to mind an incident in the Bible, which I’m sure you remember. It took place after Jesus was arrested and Peter followed, trying to blend into the crowd without being recognized. His efforts failed, because somebody said he looked like one of the followers of Jesus. Another chimed in, saying something similar. Then a little girl came up to him and said, “You are one of his. Your speech betrays you.” The meaning of what she said is clear. His dialect revealed the fact that he was from Galilee.
Curiously, then Peter began to curse and swear and declare that he didn’t know Jesus. (Let it be noted that he afterwards repented with bitter tears and pledged his love to Jesus). Perhaps he thought that the language he used would classify him as one who did not follow Jesus.
Was Peter right? Does our vocabulary reveal our faith?
The use of profanity has become so common that many people feel they cannot express themselves strongly without it.
When I think of the power of language, a line from Shakespeare comes to mind: “I will speak daggers to him, but use none.” I don’t think the speaker had in mind using any words other than those commonly used by people in public forums. He planned to utilize correct English to express his anger and hostility.
I had a teacher in my early elementary school years who told the class members that they needed to learn to express themselves without cursing, because use of profanity reveals a person’s ignorance. In reliance upon “cuss” words, a person shows he doesn’t know how to make full use of his own language.
Two Christian men were having their car attended by a mechanic. As the mechanic worked, the two men talked with each other. After a while the mechanic emerged from under the car and asked, “Where do you fellows go to church?” Then he went on, “I hear a lot of men talk here in the shop, and I can tell you guys are different by the way you talk.” Perhaps he could have said, “Your speech betrays you.”
I watched and listened with a broken heart to two people ripping each other to shreds without uttering a single profanity. I think what they were doing was dead wrong. Hurting people is always counter-productive and damaging to the soul. But, the point is, they did it without the use of filthy or vulgar language. It can be done.