Why Don’t You Understand?

Mix-ups in communication are an unfortunate, and often distressing, fact of life. We have all had the experience of being misunderstood, or of misunderstanding someone else. Sometimes that stems from voice inflection or tone, or perhaps stress on certain words. But often it stems from poor word choice, or failure to make sure that everyone involved in the conversation is using the words in the same way.

Communication requires that both the author and audience have a common understanding of the words beings used. I have called this “the principle of commonality.” We have to share a common definition of the words we are using. If I mean one thing and you understand something else, we are not communicating. I might be talking and you might be listening. But you are hearing something I am not saying. And that is a recipe for disaster.

How many times, especially in our churches and ministries, are we using words that no one understands except the “in crowd”? How many times do we use buzzwords and jargon that may be fine (or may not be) for people who have been in church their whole lives, but meaningless to people who are new to church, or “trying it out”? I heard someone pray recently at an evangelistic function thanking God for the “finished cross work of Christ.” Immediately, I wondered how many people knew what he was talking about. I concluded privately that probably very few did, at least very few of the people he was trying to communicate with. On another occasion, I was discipling a man in preparation for baptism. After doing some Bible studies with him, I was giving him final instructions. I said to him, "On Sunday, when we have the invitation, just come to the front and go through the door. A deacon will meet you there and show you the changing room." He looked at me confused and said, "Invitation? What's that?" I failed to communicate because I used a "church term" to an unchurched person. Fortunately for both of us, he asked me what I meant. But how many people walk away never bothering to ask.

Recently, I saw a newly composed song that lauded the “Hypostatic Deity.” Why? The only reason I could think of was that “Hypostatic Deity” fit the rhyme and meter a lot better than “Jesus is both God and man, all at the same time, without blending the two together.” But in our churches, for how many people would “hypostatic deity” have any meaning whatsoever? And if it has no meaning, why use it?

But I am not sure that “hypostatic deity” has any meaning at all. “Deity” is only one part of “hypostatic.” To be truly hypostatic, you must also have humanity. And if you have no idea what I am talking about, you can understand the reason for this little article. When I use words you don’t understand, I am not communicating well. That is of no great consequence here. But when we talk to people about Christ and they don't understand our words, we have a dangerous failure.

I am convinced that God doesn’t need the big words, and the people we are talking to don’t really need the big words, which leaves only one person who needs the big words: Us. Why? Perhaps we want to sound smart, or perhaps (and more likely) because we are too lazy to find an intelligible way to say something. But if we fail to find a way to define "stuff," we will be bad communicators and worse evangelists.

If we will reach a world with the good news of life and hope and grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ alone, it will be because they understand “stuff,” whatever “stuff” may happen to be in the text that we are preaching from. If we do not make it clear, in terms they can understand, then the problem is ours. If they reject the gospel of Jesus Christ, at least let them know what they are rejecting. Modern culture is getting farther and farther removed from the day when church language and concepts were common knowledge. The culture in which we have been called to minister does not share the background of those who were raised in church. And that has made the task of communication in the church much more difficult. But our task remains the same: Take the message of life and hope in Christ to a world that doesn’t share our values and background. Find a way to communicate to them the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ so that they can understand. If our gospel be hidden, let it be because of the reason that Paul gives: The god of this world has blinded their minds (2 Corinthians 4:4). Let it not be because we use words they don't understand.