THE ELEGANCE OF ELOQUENCES

Primal thought, that gut reaction is and can be so “beastly” as well as unrefined. It is never pure or matchless. Sometimes without realizing it is simply the mind’s carbon copy of some other thought we heard and filed away.

I recall once when I was in a church service where the music director decided to “compose” a song while singing it for the first time. He might have thought it was an inspired approach, but his song was unfortunately nothing more than some sing song incoherent ramblings that didn’t impress anyone. However given his ultimately fading from the Christian ministry when his fractious ambitions to become a pastor failed, I guess the question of whether God was actually speaking through him was answered.

While I myself am prone towards more verbose forms of expression that doesn’t mean I feel it is always the most eloquent. For myself real eloquence is when others understand what you mean. I plead guilty of having not been as eloquent as I had desired on more than one occasion by such a definition.

Despite the times when we have trouble understanding some passage of scripture I don’t think that has much to do with God’s ability to communicate. I heard a bible teacher once comment that the first rule in reading the scripture is to assume the Lord knows how to talk.

I do wonder at times if some people honestly remember that when they try to convey some scripture’s meaning in a way that produces something totally absurd. When one’s personal bias intrudes upon our eyesight it can be very obvious. Yet so often it seems we want to blame that problem on the Lord. And I don’t really think he appreciates it even if he doesn’t zap us with lightning bolts for such stupidity.

I also appreciate that the call of a preacher isn’t necessarily connected to how great they are as a public speaker. God’s spirit when working through someone called to that office can work his miracles and power whether the person is gifted with flowery language or just speaks in ordinary terms.

That doesn’t mean to me that one can discount when the beauty of the language enhances its expression. It is a work of art some can enjoy more than others.

So I like to celebrate when the duality of beauty is coupled with the power of how it is conveyed so it is fully understood. The impact can be so mesmerizing to the soul and something one will remember for a long time.

God uses such tools to share his revelation. But it is up to us to listen when his voice speaks regardless of the voice box used. It will always come with the eloquence of truth at the core no matter the words used. That is a beauty in itself when understood and enjoyed for its presentation.

I pray we find the elegance that comes from the Lord in all that is spoken. And be able to see when the eloquence is spiritual and not just in words.