Or, “Birds of a Feather Flock Together”. This is a really old expression in the English language. To my surprise, something very similar to this expression appeared in the apocryphal book “Ecclesasiticus 27:9” in the original King James Version of the Bible. I didn’t even realize that the KJV included the Apocrypha! The expression was “The birds will resort vnto their like, so will truth returne vnto them that practise in her.”
I don’t need to belabor the meaning, for you understand it. I chose this expression to talk about language and my love of words. I don’t mean mere verbiage, but words, expressions and putting those together to say what you mean and what you think and what you feel in a very precise way.
How we speak is a reflection of who we are, thus the concept of like attracting like. I am convinced that sloppy grammar and speech (of which I am guilty) is a reflection of a careless mind. By careless, I mean simply not paying enough attention, thinking that it doesn’t matter how you speak. It’s the content that matters, not the form. In the forefront of debate in Brazil right now, is a new grammar book that says just this. It advocates the concept that you don’t need to worry about verbal agreement or other such niceties. The important thing is that you are understood, not that you are correct. There is some truth to that. If you tell someone you hate him, it doesn’t matter if you flat out say “I hate you” or you say “My heart overflows with odious sentiment toward your person.” You have said the same thing. On the other hand, if we constantly clutter our language with imprecise expressions, with incorrect grammar and even more “earthy” or “street” talk, we reveal a mind that thinks in those ways.
If, however, we take the time to craft our words, expressing ourselves with precision and beauty, we have honored our listeners by our effort. We also are showing that our minds are not lazy. Certainly, to say “I ain’t a gonna do it”, has it’s place, is very graphic, and we may chose to use that expression in a deliberate way to make a point. Still, they are not beautifully crafted words. Do not tell me beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I know each person has their own taste, but I am no post-modern thinker who accepts there is no absolute standard for beauty. A person may enjoy listening to gangster rap, and even love it, but there is nothing beautiful about degrading women or glorifying violence with that disgusting language. It may be called art, but it is not more beautiful than those art displays of dirty toilets.
That reinforces what I am trying to say here. The way we talk expresses what is in our hearts and minds. If we talk about women in disgusting terms, then we are saying women are disgusting. If we continually use bathroom words, then our minds are concentrated on… well you get it.
I used to love the contemporary translations of the Bible, like the Good News Bible, but I have grown to appreciate the richness of the more traditional translations, like the ESV. Although I honor the King James Version and its rich contribution to our language, it has too many problems to make it viable for me. Speaking of which, if you haven’t already visited the site “The King’s English” celebrating how much the KJV has contributed to the English language, you really must. It is a wonderful site with devotions that speak to my heart. You can click on my link, or on my sidebar.
How I appreciate a preacher or speaker who not only thinks about what they are going to say, but the words they will use to do so. So often our modern preachers have chosen to use slang, curse words and bad grammar to exposit God’s Word. If their listeners don’t deserve better, God’s Word certainly does. I do not accept any excuses for the laziness of preachers who make excuses for dumbing down God’s Word to make it palatable to people. We should be provoking growth, not “comfort”. I am not talking about being so erudite no one knows what you mean (because in fact that is easy to do and is also a form on mental laziness), but I am talking about providing beauty in your speech. It takes work, study and effort. Perhaps that is too much to ask, but I don’t think so. At times I have envied those I have considered to be gifted in expression, but at this point I know they weren’t born that way. A few years ago I couldn’t draw anything, but after much work I can produce something that is somewhat pleasing. It took a lot of work to get that point. I believe if I put out the same effort in my writing and speaking, I could also improve my “beauty-quotient” in that area as well.
At the risk of boring you, I wanto to close by sharing the words of my favorite poem, “God’s Grandeur”by my favorite poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins. You can watch it on this video.
No comments:
Post a Comment