Words Mean Things By; Dr. Danny Purvis
Words Mean Things.
By: Dr. Danny Purvis
The title of this post is one of my favorite sayings. As an English undergrad, I would not say that I got a particularly “useful” degree (however that may be defined). But I knew that I was going on to graduate school at seminary so I took some very good advice and majored in something at the undergrad level that I enjoyed. And I enjoy the study that comes along with a degree in English. I have always been a voracious reader and am fascinated with all forms of storytelling. From novels to short stories to poems to plays to nonfiction to movies, I do enjoy the incredible art that drives the telling of a story. One of the reasons why is how amazingly the writers of these stories use language to paint a picture. It is amazing how in the hands of one person a collection of words can be clunky and uninspiring…but in the hands of another…it can be a masterpiece. I am intrigued by words…as odd as that may sound.
And of the reasons this is the case is related to the title of this post. I am quite sure that this is not a recent phenomenon, but culturally we have a problem in our inability to understand that there is substance…many times very important substance…tacked onto our usage of words. But we wield our words so haphazardly that all substance and much meaning is drained from them. The words are so carelessly used that the user does not see the harm done to the foundational truth of the constructs being described by those words. Why? Well…again…look at the title of this post. Let me give you a glaring example.
Over the last several years, I have seen an alarming trend of people dramatically misusing a word that has a great deal of weight upon it. It is a very serious word. It has far reaching ramifications for the user and the recipient of the word. This word carries the connotation of a devastating intent on the part of the user of the word and a very damaging declaration on the recipient of it. The word I am speaking about? Hate (or some derivation of it). Bear with me here as I try to make my point. Remember, we are talking about the idea of words and their power being misused to the point of rendering the word completely powerless. That’s the point. Misusing words…especially ones with a great deal of weight…leads ultimately and inevitably to the point where the word ceases to have any real meaning. The word ends up not meaning what it was intended to mean. In fact, it ends up meaning nothing at all.
Such has been the case with the word hate. To be frank, I was slow to catch this. I was the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water. But then it began to dawn on me. Hate is a terrible word with terrible ramifications. And we have treated that word so carelessly that the true meaning is often lost to most people. I began to see it when I witnessed people using the word “hater” in the most benign ways imaginable. In this country, especially since the advent of social media, that word has been tossed around like a frisbee. With no more thought given to it than the tossing of a frisbee. If you think a football player is not as good as others think…you’re a hater. If you’re not crazy about a particular pop star…you’re a hater. If you direct legitimate criticism towards anyone at anytime for anything…you’re a hater. If you have a dissimilar political position…you’re a hater. In fact, if you have even the mildest, most inconsequential difference of opinion…you’re a hater. We have made this devastating word almost completely meaningless.
The big question is: Why? Why has our culture rendered a very serious word as meaningless as our choice as to which toothpaste we’re going to buy. There is one huge reason (and this is the only potentially “good” news with this phenomenon). In general, the ones who use that word so haphazardly have almost certainly never been exposed to true hatred in their lives. I don’t mean they haven’t seen it from afar. Generally speaking, one need only watch or read the news on any given day to see the actions and effects of true hatred. But, for the most part, the folks who casually refer to minor differences of opinion as “hating” have not really stared true hatred in the eyes. They are spectators of hatred…not victims of it. Don’t get me wrong. I am not wishing that these folks personally experience that hatred they so casually mention. I meant it when I said this was a good news element to the whole thing. It is good news when people do not personally experience hatred. I rejoice for them.
My point is that a person who designates someone as a “hater” because that person thinks differently about a completely innocuous inconsequential aspect of life, has little to no experience in hatred. You might say…well…it’s just a figure of speech. They don’t really mean “hate” in the classical sense. That actually makes my point. Words mean things. The power behind those words is real. The ramifications socially and culturally are real. And our casual use then renders these words as impotent. It loses all meaning in the real sense. Look at God’s Word. John wrote: “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). Jesus emphasized that murder isn’t just the physical act of murder but that the anger that drives murder is the same as murder itself (Matthew 5:21-22). The word translated as “anger” in Matthew 5:22 is the same word used for the wrath that God pours out on the unrepentant. In fact, so horrific is the idea of hatred that Jesus tells us we should not feel hatred even for our enemies…those who would do us harm (Matthew 5:43-44).
Hatred is behind every single personal, physical crime ever committed since Cain killed Abel. True hatred leads to either the actual harm to another person, or at least the rejoicing when harm is done to another person. We are seeing this play out dramatically in the events of the Middle East right now. But truth be told, we see it every single day in the violence that is poured out on so many people. The source of all of this is hatred. True hatred. Our Adversary would love nothing more than for something as powerful as hatred to be treated as a mild inconvenience. He does not want the world to treat hatred as a paragon of evil. He wants it to be a word that is devoid of meaning. For if hatred is deemphasized due to its being watered down…so too does the love that only God can give us as the antidote. If everything is hateful…ultimately nothing becomes hateful. And that will end up having people see true hatred and excuse it away…while at the same time bemoaning someone as a hater who doesn’t like Starbucks. Wait a minute…that’s already happening. See the point? This isn’t about semantics. It is the difference between an Adversary that embodies hate (but wants to deemphasize it to the masses) and the Almighty God of the universe who has the answer to that hate in the Person and work Of Jesus Christ. This is not about word games but the Word of God. And as you know…words mean things.
-Dr. Danny Purvis
By: Dr. Danny Purvis
The title of this post is one of my favorite sayings. As an English undergrad, I would not say that I got a particularly “useful” degree (however that may be defined). But I knew that I was going on to graduate school at seminary so I took some very good advice and majored in something at the undergrad level that I enjoyed. And I enjoy the study that comes along with a degree in English. I have always been a voracious reader and am fascinated with all forms of storytelling. From novels to short stories to poems to plays to nonfiction to movies, I do enjoy the incredible art that drives the telling of a story. One of the reasons why is how amazingly the writers of these stories use language to paint a picture. It is amazing how in the hands of one person a collection of words can be clunky and uninspiring…but in the hands of another…it can be a masterpiece. I am intrigued by words…as odd as that may sound.
And of the reasons this is the case is related to the title of this post. I am quite sure that this is not a recent phenomenon, but culturally we have a problem in our inability to understand that there is substance…many times very important substance…tacked onto our usage of words. But we wield our words so haphazardly that all substance and much meaning is drained from them. The words are so carelessly used that the user does not see the harm done to the foundational truth of the constructs being described by those words. Why? Well…again…look at the title of this post. Let me give you a glaring example.
Over the last several years, I have seen an alarming trend of people dramatically misusing a word that has a great deal of weight upon it. It is a very serious word. It has far reaching ramifications for the user and the recipient of the word. This word carries the connotation of a devastating intent on the part of the user of the word and a very damaging declaration on the recipient of it. The word I am speaking about? Hate (or some derivation of it). Bear with me here as I try to make my point. Remember, we are talking about the idea of words and their power being misused to the point of rendering the word completely powerless. That’s the point. Misusing words…especially ones with a great deal of weight…leads ultimately and inevitably to the point where the word ceases to have any real meaning. The word ends up not meaning what it was intended to mean. In fact, it ends up meaning nothing at all.
Such has been the case with the word hate. To be frank, I was slow to catch this. I was the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water. But then it began to dawn on me. Hate is a terrible word with terrible ramifications. And we have treated that word so carelessly that the true meaning is often lost to most people. I began to see it when I witnessed people using the word “hater” in the most benign ways imaginable. In this country, especially since the advent of social media, that word has been tossed around like a frisbee. With no more thought given to it than the tossing of a frisbee. If you think a football player is not as good as others think…you’re a hater. If you’re not crazy about a particular pop star…you’re a hater. If you direct legitimate criticism towards anyone at anytime for anything…you’re a hater. If you have a dissimilar political position…you’re a hater. In fact, if you have even the mildest, most inconsequential difference of opinion…you’re a hater. We have made this devastating word almost completely meaningless.
The big question is: Why? Why has our culture rendered a very serious word as meaningless as our choice as to which toothpaste we’re going to buy. There is one huge reason (and this is the only potentially “good” news with this phenomenon). In general, the ones who use that word so haphazardly have almost certainly never been exposed to true hatred in their lives. I don’t mean they haven’t seen it from afar. Generally speaking, one need only watch or read the news on any given day to see the actions and effects of true hatred. But, for the most part, the folks who casually refer to minor differences of opinion as “hating” have not really stared true hatred in the eyes. They are spectators of hatred…not victims of it. Don’t get me wrong. I am not wishing that these folks personally experience that hatred they so casually mention. I meant it when I said this was a good news element to the whole thing. It is good news when people do not personally experience hatred. I rejoice for them.
My point is that a person who designates someone as a “hater” because that person thinks differently about a completely innocuous inconsequential aspect of life, has little to no experience in hatred. You might say…well…it’s just a figure of speech. They don’t really mean “hate” in the classical sense. That actually makes my point. Words mean things. The power behind those words is real. The ramifications socially and culturally are real. And our casual use then renders these words as impotent. It loses all meaning in the real sense. Look at God’s Word. John wrote: “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). Jesus emphasized that murder isn’t just the physical act of murder but that the anger that drives murder is the same as murder itself (Matthew 5:21-22). The word translated as “anger” in Matthew 5:22 is the same word used for the wrath that God pours out on the unrepentant. In fact, so horrific is the idea of hatred that Jesus tells us we should not feel hatred even for our enemies…those who would do us harm (Matthew 5:43-44).
Hatred is behind every single personal, physical crime ever committed since Cain killed Abel. True hatred leads to either the actual harm to another person, or at least the rejoicing when harm is done to another person. We are seeing this play out dramatically in the events of the Middle East right now. But truth be told, we see it every single day in the violence that is poured out on so many people. The source of all of this is hatred. True hatred. Our Adversary would love nothing more than for something as powerful as hatred to be treated as a mild inconvenience. He does not want the world to treat hatred as a paragon of evil. He wants it to be a word that is devoid of meaning. For if hatred is deemphasized due to its being watered down…so too does the love that only God can give us as the antidote. If everything is hateful…ultimately nothing becomes hateful. And that will end up having people see true hatred and excuse it away…while at the same time bemoaning someone as a hater who doesn’t like Starbucks. Wait a minute…that’s already happening. See the point? This isn’t about semantics. It is the difference between an Adversary that embodies hate (but wants to deemphasize it to the masses) and the Almighty God of the universe who has the answer to that hate in the Person and work Of Jesus Christ. This is not about word games but the Word of God. And as you know…words mean things.
-Dr. Danny Purvis
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1 Comment
Very thought provoking. I do hear they are haters. Like wise if someone says the wrong thing in a public setting there entire career can be over in minutes. Words do matter and I should be more aware of the words I use. We can build up or tear down a person quickly. We need God's forgiveness as a sinner and need a loving and forgiving Savior.