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about the author...  Brian Orme Brian is a youthpastor in West Milton, OH. He enjoys writing and reading anything and everything that has to do with the spiritual journey. He went to Cedarville University, Phoenix Seminary. He is in the process of writing a book for students about the Beatitudes, and a novel about a small church that goes through some incredible circumstance. He loves God, the church, anything creative. He enjoys his three boys - and his incredible wife - Jenna. He loves to write and is a designing hack - as well as a golf hack.
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Lost in Translation by Brian Orme
Cell phones are magnificent tools for communication … if you have a clear signal. Without a clear signal it is easy to lose the message in the translation. Static, fuzz, then a brief moment of clarity that enables you to hear one syllable, then the static returns. It can be inconvenient or even frantic depending on the urgency of the message.
In our world of Christianity, it is easy to clutter up the message of Christ with static by the way we talk, the language we use, the messages we send and by the way we choose to live. The urgency of our message can’t be measured because it’s a message of life and death. As a follower of Jesus, I have been looking at the passage of Matthew 5-7: typically called, “the sermon on the mount.” I think it’s somewhat misleading to even call it a sermon because Jesus didn’t pass out notes or stand behind a pulpit; He sat, like the teachers of His day, and talked about life. Jesus didn’t list out a long agenda of beliefs that the hearers were to commit to memory—instead He spoke about a way of living that was different from what they were used to. The talk on the mount, in many ways, was about clearing up the message of the kingdom that had been lost in translation. The religious leaders of the day had managed to distort the message of the kingdom through their teachings, their language and their way of life. For the religious leaders the message of the kingdom was translated, “Obey our rules and you might be good enough to enter into the kingdom of God,” instead of the real message which Jesus delivered, “Anyone can have a place in the kingdom if they are willing to come to God and turn from living life their own way.” The people in Jesus’ day had a warped view of the message. They were told again and again that the few religious leaders had cornered the market on the kingdom of God and most people would be left out because they just didn’t make the grade. I meet a lot of people that feel the same way today. Jesus came to reclaim the true message for the people. It is evident in His talk by the statements that Jesus makes, “You have heard it said … but I say to you …” Jesus came to give clarity and a fresh perspective on how they should live and relate to God once their lives where turned over to Him. I believe that we are in danger of duplicating the message of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day and cluttering up the message of the kingdom by the language we choose to use and the “us verse them” attitude that we can have as Christians. When we choose to speak about grace but then fail to live lives that embody grace, we send mixed signals; when we act like we have been enlightened and others are lost in their stupidity—we send signals that tell others they won’t be good enough for the kingdom. Paul’s prayer in Colossians 4:4, was that he would speak the message clearly. I believe that this is what each of us needs to do: rethink the way that we communicate the message of Christ to make sure it is clear to those in our culture. In relation to the Gospel, some of us have been taught that if we just yell louder, they will respond to the message, instead of the maxim that if we love deeper the message will be clearer—and this is really what our goal should be—a clear message. I am fascinated by the thought that there were some people that even rejected Jesus’ call to follow; this helps me understand the fact that I don’t have to twist anyone’s arm to follow Christ—I just have to make sure the message is clear. On a recent trip, I met a college student that had put together his belief system from a combination of many Eastern and Western religions. We built a good friendship, went out to eat a couple of times and I found out that his parents were both Christians. He made it clear to me that he wanted nothing to do with Christianity because of his parents. As we discussed it in more detail it was clear that the message of Christ was lost in translation. Whatever message his parents sent him was not the same message of the kingdom of God proclaimed by Christ. I told him that I wouldn’t want anything to do with a Christianity like the one he witnessed either, and we began to talk about the possibilities of healing his view of God by getting the real message clear. In Jesus’ talk on the mount, He delivered a whole new system that dealt with the heart. Then He made it evident that those who would follow Him would be representatives of the kingdom by becoming like salt and light. The flavor our lives would produce seasoning like salt and point to the flavor of God in the world; the illumination of the message would be embodied in those that would follow Jesus and light the way for others to follow. There was also a warning given, don’t lose your flavor and don’t put your light out —don’t fail to deliver this urgent message about the kingdom through the way you live. Don’t let those around you lose the message in translation, make it clear for all to see, for all to hear. I am still working it out in my own life, but I know I want to rethink the methods I use to communicate the message of Christ. I grew up in the Church and it is hard to shake all the language (verbal and non-verbal) that might potentially give static to those who really want to listen to the message, but I know that I can’t continue to communicate in a way that delivers fuzz to those who are trying to get a good signal. The message is too important to be lost. Brian Orme is pastor and writer in Ohio, you can contact him at www.brianorme.com. Doug - Brian, What's "clear" is how important it is to follow our Lord's example. Thanks for reinforcing the image of presenting a clear message while "we love deeper."
Thanks for the advice, making the message clear is never been an easy task. I don't think we have always been very sensitive to culture, we just go with what we have always known and expect people to listen and accept what we say. Print-friendly version of this page Mail this article
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