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“What’s in a word?”
You know how words can lose their meaning, or change their
meaning… What I mean is this. A swear word once had the power to offend, now
becomes so common-place in the vocabulary of some that it acts more like a
punctuation mark! Then, there are other words which once meant one thing and
now mean another. Of course the most famous of these is the word ‘gay’. There
are still other words which once had power but now have become almost
redundant. Different generations and cultures endue particular words with
particular power. Equally, words that carried great significance in the past
have no place in our language today. Words like 'fraternity' might have been
potent words symbolising the uniting interests of a state or nation. Now, such
a word is seldom used as a description of community life. In everyday
conversation, words like 'sin' have become taboo, or are considered
inappropriate or overly judgmental. Other words have taken on a persuasive
power of their own. Words like 'community' and 'freedom'; 'choice' and
'opportunity' are in vogue and are deployed liberally as 'argument-winning'
phrases that can trump your opponent. To prove my point, just try listening to
politicians being interviewed on the radio one morning and count how many
times they will use such key words and phrases.
You can see that I’m interested in the meaning of words. They
are my ‘stock in trade’. As the songwriter Sting once wrote (and I grew up
listening to this) “Poets, priests and politicians have words to thank for
their positions” Part of me is rather embarrassed to be engaged in a form of
employment that uses such fragile material. Yet, all of us know that power of
words to change lives: “I have a dream…” “We are a rainbow nation…” “I have
nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”
So what about the word ‘Christian’?
What does that mean today.
“You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” “A Christian is
someone who leads their life according to the Ten Commandments.” “A Christian
is good person.” And so on. Maybe you could add your own definition at this
point…
As much as I would like to
try to define this word according to my definition- and I hope that would help
people - I fear that the linguistic battle is almost lost. The ‘train has
pulled out of the station’. In our world of many meanings for the same thing -
and our ‘pick and mix’ culture, the word ‘Christian’ has become has become
ill-defined. This is a great shame. The word ‘Christian’ was first used in
Antioch: Acts11v26:
So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great
numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
If the word has become ill-defined, then as sad as it is to stop using it-
maybe it is still the right thing. After all, the first Christians were also
called followers of “The Way” (Acts22v4)
but we don’t use that term anymore! So what is the alternative? Well, you
might like to think up your own, but here’s my suggestion (it’s not new and
it’s not copyrighted!) Why don’t we talk about “Christ-followers’? (Trendy,
new-fangled vicar- why can’t he just leave well alone! you say) Well hear
me out. If the word ‘Christian’ can mean anything to anyone, surely the word
Christ-follower is a little more precise. A Christ-follower is, well, ‘a
follower of Christ!’ Then we need to ask ourselves ‘do we follow Christ?’
Where is Jesus Christ going and how should we follow him? I will leave you to
think these things through for yourself. I’ll also let you consider whether
Christ-follower is a word that you are comfortable using to describe yourself
or others. Let me leave you with something that Jesus says to those who would
‘come after him’ (follow him). I hope and pray you have a good summer.
Luke 9 23-24
Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny
themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to
save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save
it.
Yours, in his service
Jay Colwill
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