Everyone is trilingual. Yes, even you. Part 1
In his book, The Contemplative Pastor, Eugene Peterson breaks language into three categories which he labels Language I, II, and III.
Peterson's definition of each category:
"Language I is the language of intimacy and relationship."
"Language II is the language of information."
"Language III is the language of motivation."
Peterson goes on to say that our current culture is dominated by language II and III. We know the power of information and the power of using language to "get things done." Language I is something that is generally reserved for those moments when you are cooing a baby or whispering sweet nothings into a lover's ear. Language II and III get us money and power and prestige. Language I seem to only result in mementos and memories.
Finally Peterson reminds the reader that Language I is the language of prayer.
After reflecting on this passage in his book, a few things struck me
First of all everyone is trilingual. Everyone speaks the language of intimacy, information and motivation. In Christian spirituality it is critical to our formation that we are fluent in all three languages. One might say that spiritual formation is rooted in "Trinitarian language".
The issue might be that too many Christians are attempting to live out Christian spirituality but only using two of the three languages that are necessary for Christian spirituality.
Christians are great at getting people to learn what the Bible has to say or what we believe. Christians also are good at getting people to understand the things that we are to do as Christians - build homes, feed people, visit the sick, etc. Where we fail in our spiritual formation is that Christians are not very good at cultivating the language of intimacy.
Christianity is a faith practice that is rooted in "Trinitarian language" and when we are only using two of the three languages we are always going to remain immature.
Peterson's definition of each category:
"Language I is the language of intimacy and relationship."
"Language II is the language of information."
"Language III is the language of motivation."
Peterson goes on to say that our current culture is dominated by language II and III. We know the power of information and the power of using language to "get things done." Language I is something that is generally reserved for those moments when you are cooing a baby or whispering sweet nothings into a lover's ear. Language II and III get us money and power and prestige. Language I seem to only result in mementos and memories.
Finally Peterson reminds the reader that Language I is the language of prayer. After reflecting on this passage in his book, a few things struck me
First of all everyone is trilingual. Everyone speaks the language of intimacy, information and motivation. In Christian spirituality it is critical to our formation that we are fluent in all three languages. One might say that spiritual formation is rooted in "Trinitarian language".
The issue might be that too many Christians are attempting to live out Christian spirituality but only using two of the three languages that are necessary for Christian spirituality.
Christians are great at getting people to learn what the Bible has to say or what we believe. Christians also are good at getting people to understand the things that we are to do as Christians - build homes, feed people, visit the sick, etc. Where we fail in our spiritual formation is that Christians are not very good at cultivating the language of intimacy.
Christianity is a faith practice that is rooted in "Trinitarian language" and when we are only using two of the three languages we are always going to remain immature.
Fetal cells, the Church and Christ
Recently I listened to a podcast from RadioLabs that
addressed the fact that a mother will carry in her body cells of the children
she bore for several decades. That is to say that a mother will carry within
her body foreign cells in which her antibodies do not attack.
And the thing is, we are not sure why these cells remain in
the mother’s body at all.
RadioLabs goes on to speak with researchers in this area and
the complexity of why these cells are there and what they actually do to the
mother’s body I will leave for you to hear from the source.
What came into my head was a question – If you give birth to
an idea or a cause, then will there always be your “cells” roaming around the
idea/cause even after you have jettison? And if so, then how long can your “cells”
remain in that idea/cause?
How long are the “cells” of the church able to move through
the body of Christ?
Peter Rollins video - Insurrection
In the event you have not heard of Peter Rollins, well get ready to have your mind blown. His book Insurrection was an amazing book that is something that will require me to read at least two more times to get at the heart of his points. It is thought provoking and engaging in a way that challenges the core of my being.
Be mindful, Rollins is a prophetic voice of the Church.
Be the change by Jason Valendy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.