“Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows.”
(Psalm 64:2-3)
Every few years society’s buzzwords change. Especially in the circles of the well educated and ‘supposed’ change agents of our culture. A couple of years back people talked about the importance of “dialogue”, participating in “community”, breaking down modern constructs in our “postmodern” world.
Now the cool new thing that we all must do is create a space for having a robust “conversation.” The formal definition of conversation means “an informal exchange of ideas by spoken words.” Let’s sit down together with a beer and have a conversation. Let’s cross the street and go into the living room of people who are not like us and learn from them. Sounds great! We all should try that.
But that isn’t really what people mean by that anymore. In the political realm and arenas of higher learning “having a conversation” means to have a serious discussion with less intelligent people so they start seeing things the right way, our way.
- “We need to have a conversation on race.” Translation: you are a bigot and we need you to shut up.
- “We need to have a conversation on economic inequities.” Translation: you need to pay more in taxes and vote for more income redistribution.
- “We need to have a conversation on religious intolerance.” Translation: you need to stop proselytizing for Christ, and just accept everyone else’s faith – – especially if they are Muslim.
Conversation is the new passive-aggressive strong-arm tactic of those who think they know more than the rest of us. The word sounds innocent, “an informal exchange”; but it is a ploy to get you to see things the politically correct way. Moreover, it is the new way to overturn ideas we all once accepted as true and right.
- “Let’s have a conversation on homosexual marriages and gender identity.” Why? Because your ideas are now considered out of date and passe’ – – you need to change your neanderthal ways and join the enlightened in this brave new world.
- “Let’s have a conversation on how we understand the atonement of Christ.” Why? Because we don’t like the idea of a bloody man hanging on a cross as the way to gain favor with God. We want something new, not so violent or ugly. How about if we just adopt “love”?
- “Let’s have a conversation on guns, war and police.” Why? Because war is so wrong, guns are so deadly and police are power hungry. Why don’t we just shake the hands of the bad people who don’t mean to be bad, it is just their upbringing and systemic injustice that is bad, and we all need to embrace peace?
Conversations, in and of themselves, are not a solution. They do not have special power to change things. It is good to talk, to discuss, to see each other’s point of view; but the way that word is now used is not what the person using it means. They somehow think having a conversation has power to “change you to see things my way”.
Psalm 64:5 says, “wicked people talk while hiding their snares.” Do you really believe the politicians on the platform are being honest with you, or are they snaring you to give them more power? Do you think Twitter and Facebook rants encourage real conversation? Or all we all just blowing off steam into a world that is already agonizingly hot? Maybe our faux-conversations are the true cause of global warming?
So then how do you really have a true conversation? And why should I believe this blog, because it sure seems like you are using words to get the reader to see things your way?
I only have one agenda: to have words mean what they are defined as. A conversation is a great thing when it isn’t a strong arm tactic and people respect both sides of the conversation. If someone is right we need to acknowledge it. If someone is wrong, they need to be willing to admit their fault. I love what Isaiah 66:2 says about the person God admires and likes,
“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”
Two things to note about this verse:
- Be Humble. Realize it is your heart that is prone to deceit. If that is true I must be willing to allow people to speak into my life. I am human, I will make mistakes. We live in a day and age that admitting I can be wrong is a sign of weakness. It is not, it is a sign of humility. Humility simply means we are all made from the dust of the earth. It is O.K. to admit that.
- Tremble at God and his truth. This means we need to bow down to the fact that God sees everything correctly, and we don’t. Does God say homosexuality is wrong because he likes to be angry at a certain group of people, or because he knows what is best for us and society? Does God say “If you don’t work you don’t eat” because he hates the poor, or because he knows our tendency toward sloth and dependency will shrink and eventually kill our spirit?
Obedience to God and his word brings life, health and peace. We don’t obey because we are smart and have everything figured out; we obey because he does. Having a conversation is allowing someone to see where I fall short as it comes to truth. A conversation is meant to bring us to the light, not to find agreement on the darkness. I love how Psalm 64:8 & 10 ends:
“He will turn their own tongues (the wicked) against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him.”
God’s truth is solid. Our goal is to build our lives upon it. And until we do, no amount of talking with others will change the fact we are not standing on solid ground. Truth simply means “what is.” The sun is in the sky. That is the truth. I need oxygen to breathe. That is the truth.
God is…that is the truth.
