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Forty-one years in the past, Wendell Berry wrote a penetrating essay referred to as “Standing by Phrases,” through which he ties the disintegration of communities to our declining dedication to make use of phrases responsibly. Berry’s essay has one thing pressing to say to us at present, in our age of disinformation as political technique. I’m wondering if it may additionally assist a extra sturdy studying of Romans 10.
Right here, Paul writes of Jesus Christ—the Residing Phrase—who attracts close to to us and resides not solely in our hearts however in our mouths as properly. Real proclamation—not simply honest conviction—has, by grace, an element to play in our redemption. Maybe a part of Paul’s message is akin to Wendell Berry’s insistent argument. Is Paul encouraging these younger Christians to resume their dedication to share the present of God’s Phrase responsibly? And, is that this tied to the well being of the Christian group and its capability to set all distinctions (Jew from Greek) apart in an effort to acknowledge that the Residing Phrase is “Lord of all?”
Berry suggests a method for strengthening our dedication to phrases, one he borrows from enterprise accounting. There may be, he factors out, a distinction between inner accounting and exterior accounting. The primary calculates the prices and advantages of actions to the agency itself. The second considers the prices and advantages to the general public good, to the group through which the agency resides. A agency that cares just for the wellbeing of its shareholders is irresponsible. In an analogous manner, audio system—who commerce in phrases—needs to be rigorous in auditing their language. Accountable speech ought to honor each the interior convictions of the center and the exterior wellbeing of communal fellowship. Solely then are our phrases within the fullest sense true.
At a time in American historical past when phrases are so clearly weaponized by some political leaders, it’s well timed—possibly even pressing—for Christian leaders to reflectively account for our personal proclamation. Do our phrases protect distinctions that God has deemed irrelevant? Do our phrases exclude any who lengthy to obtain the Lord of all? Do our phrases colonize, sunder, or devalue the very group that God has so graciously joined collectively?
As those that have gratefully obtained the present of God’s Residing Phrase, we not solely lengthy to be devoted. We yearn to be accountable as properly.
