Complicated words. Do we still get it?
Our blogs are often in simple, plain language. Because our blogs… are not all read by people who come from a church, and some really don’t care for “church” at all. But precisely because we talk to them in a normal, ordinary, understandable language, we do have a normal conversation. Where we consciously choose language that does not “elevate” us (listen to me using important language), but just like normal people are and speak the language of the street. Just like I had a conversation with a homeless man on this side an hour ago. Then you use basic words, don’t talk too fast, repeat where necessary and keep checking with questions whether they really understand what you are saying. Because there is often a gap between nodding “yes, yes” and understanding…
M is busy with another study (always educational but also exciting given his memory) and that study is again in English. And there he came across the following in English:
The primary meaning of the term holy in Scripture is “separate.” That which is holy is that which is other, that which is different from something else. For this reason, when the Bible speaks about God’s holiness, it is primarily referring to God’s transcendence.
The start is going well, I can do something with that. But then: “God’s transcendence”????
In all honesty, I can’t make anything out of that. Nothing that does feed me. “transcendence”??
And then you realize that many words that we sometimes use “around church” are not so clear at all. What does that word “holy” mean, what is a “transcendence”, what does the word “God” even mean to anyone else??? Let alone, if that person does not come from a church at all…. oops. When we talk to those people, do we talk in their “language” or do we use “Canaan language”. They nod that they understand, but is that really the case? Or is it better to sometimes go back to “the language of the street” if you want someone to understand what you are saying?
If we want to teach someone something about a subject (whether it is electrical engineering or another subject) then it is “useful” to keep it understandable. That requires commitment from both sides. One side must want to study (which is more than just easy reading) but the other side must also be able to explain it clearly.
And yes, that always remains a balancing act between language use. If it is too “loose” you run the risk that a lot of beautiful things will disappear, but if it is too “tight”… do we still understand each other?? If we really want to understand each other, that is something to think about.
“transcendence”. Let’s look up what is meant by that. And in addition to “transcendence” I may also look for “intrinsic”, “tremendum”, “ambivalence” and “adjective”.
Because I also come across words like that in my exams… and then I lose points because I don’t even understand the question when they talk about “transcendence”. And that doesn’t always feel so fair, I must say. Why do people do that? They know that the participants of this course come from all over the world, and their first language is certainly not English. The teacher believes it is important that the students understand his important material and the students also want to understand it, otherwise they would not be there. And yet… we do this?
When I asked the teacher what it was, he had to look it up because he didn’t know exactly himself… oops. Do we sometimes still understand what we are saying, and do we still understand how important it is to be “understandable”? Or do we babble words that sound good…but mean nothing to the listener? Something to think about… Because it is critical that we understand things correctly instead of nodding “yes yes” and just walk away without getting what we just talked about…
