Loose Talk. Again!

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 NIV

This verse is easy to understand, although some who might stray across the line will interpret the words ‘unwholesome talk’ to suit themselves and their need to be seen as ‘normal’, or ‘one of the guys’. Unwholesome talk or street language can be separated into swearing or ‘soft swearing’ which is as loose as it comes. The ordinary man and woman who bears no allegiance to a faith has no problems with swearing.

However, I have found to my surprise and sometimes shock, there are Christians who will see how close they can come to swearing, without actually saying the words. So you find people who should know better using the abbreviation OMG, and if you raise the issue, you will be told the ‘G’ means Gosh. They must be the only folks in the world who think that way, but it allows them to be more like their friends and not an outsider.

Another one that has come across my path recently is the expletive ‘sh**t’ which is a clear replacement for the word ‘sh*t’. Any check on Google will bear this out and I believe this is known to the user, but once again its usage can make them feel closer to the edge of language, and so too their peers.

So what, I can hear you say? You have been here before, and you are right, I have. I suppose my biggest problem is that my unchurched friends don’t use this kind of language especially on social media, but I do see and hear it from those in church leadership. Leaders who are younger in years and more recent theology graduates from our leading universities. Would you not agree that more is reasonably expected from our church pastors and leaders, such that speech should be above question, suspicion, or reproach? Or am I setting the bar too high for us all, leaders and laity alike?

Perhaps I am the one who is unreasonable and out of step?