The Salty Peanut Gallery

The world is a cruder place than it was twenty or thirty years ago. Not so long ago there were certain words you couldn’t say on television or print in newspapers. Nowadays the use of coarse language is perfectly acceptable. We are becoming a nation of potty-mouths. Language that used to be deemed inappropriate in polite society is now commonplace, so much so that many in the Christian community have even adopted it. Common language that everyone else in the English speaking world uses and hears on a daily basis is considered okay. It creeps into our casual conversation, our blog posts, our emails, our text messages, this infatuation with the vulgar aspects of contemporary culture.

The “vulgarization” of Christianity is even being evidenced in our evangelism. We’re repeatedly told by the experts how important it is for the church to “engage the culture.” Evangelical strategists and savvy church leaders keep telling us that Christians need to be more tuned into contemporary culture. “We need to take the message out of the bottle.” To accomplish this some pastors are resorting to vocabulary and subject matter that is at times tasteless, indecent, crude, and utterly inappropriate for a minister of Christ. Some Christian movie makers have also begun incorporating adult themes and coarse language in their work.

In defense of one such movie a brother recently explained to me that this kind of film was intended for nonbelieving audiences, to be shown outside the church, that these kinds of raw images depict real life situations that the unchurched can relate to. And after all, did Jesus really say we shouldn’t use swear words anyway? Are we even sure that people used swear words in Jesus day?

Fair enough. Though Jesus himself may not have spoken directly to the issue of swearing, here’s what Paul had to say:

Ephesians 5:4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Colossians 3:8-10 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

The point is this. I don’t care what you think pop culture says is acceptable, because we have new life, because we have a risen life, certain things should characterize us. The Bible says we are to discard the rags of our old life and put on the righteousness of our new life in Christ. After all how can we ever possibly hope to have any kind of positive impact on this world for the sake of the kingdom if our lives are no different than anyone else? How in heaven’s name could we ever think that God would want us to draw people to Christ with communication that is displeasing to Him and so contrary to His character? That to me is a Christianity that is inauthentic and a gospel that is irrelevant. Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” – John 12:32. Drawing people to Jesus is Christ’s job. We are merely the vessels He chooses to use. Let’s be sure we represent Him well.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was caught attempting to use scripture in public again, demonstrating once more what little regard and how little understanding she really has for the spiritual truths she asserts. The speaker had this to say at a May 6 Catholic Community Conference on Capitol Hill:

“They ask me all the time, ‘What is your favorite this? What is your favorite that? What is your favorite that?’ And one time, ‘What is your favorite word?’ And I said, ‘My favorite word? That is really easy. My favorite word is the Word, is the Word. And that is everything. It says it all for us. And you know the biblical reference, you know the Gospel reference of the Word.

Fill it in with anything you want. But, of course, we know it means: ‘The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us.’ And that’s the great mystery of our faith. He will come again. He will come again. So, we have to make sure we’re prepared to answer in this life, or otherwise, as to how we have measured up.”

Oh, where to begin. For someone who delights in labeling the growing opposition movement as being “artificial”, it’s so ironic, even laughable to see the speaker gushing and feigning reverence over the beauty of the word “Word”. As Michelle Malkin’s blog put it, “Kind of like watching Jack Kevorkian trying to gain the trust of attendees at an AARP convention, isn’t it?”

“Oh, the Word. It’s the Word. I love the Word. It’s so beautiful, the Word. Let’s all say it together. The Word. Ooh, it makes me all tingly inside…”

Would that Ms. Pelosi had half a clue what she was talking about. “We have to give voice to what that means in terms of public policy that would be in keeping with the values of the Word.” Oh, really. I wonder, would that include her abysmal voting record on abortion, not to mention voting against the 2003 ban on partial-birth abortion? Would that include bearing false witness against the Tea Party movement, referring to it as “AstroTurf” and “faux-grass roots” and mischaracterizing it as swastika carrying hate-mongering. Would that include not living up to her pledge to “drain the swamp”, turning this Congress into “the most honest and open Congress in history.” Would that include quoting nonexistent passages of scripture in defense of her liberal extremist environmental policies? Is that what she means?

“Fill it in with anything you want” is more like it. Speaker Pelosi did get one thing right. One day we all will have to answer for “how we have measured up” in this life. Fact is we will all have to stand before God and give an account for what we did with “The Word”. I wonder, Ms. Pelosi, have you placed your trust in The Word as savior? Have you received forgiveness of sin and cleansing from all unrighteousness? Have you received the gift of eternal life paid for by the precious blood of Jesus? Have you experienced the total transformation that faith in Jesus Christ provides? What will your answer be?