Word watching 6 Wicked

Wicked

The word wicked appears many times in our English Bibles. It translates a range of Hebrew words in the Old Testament and three or four Greek words in the New Testament. It will not surprise you to learn that in every case the words have negative connotations.

The word wicked was probably a dialect word before the thirteenth century and finds its roots in the once forgotten Old English word, Wicca. The latter is the male form of Wicce from which (!) our word witch comes. Thus wicked originally meant bewitched. It has an affinity to the word cursed in that way. It came to refer to anything evil, depraved or corrupt and that is how most people understand it today. The witchcraft element has been all but completely forgotten.

It is a common word and this has led to a weakening of its power as an adjective. However, in the last ten or twenty years it has been further weakened by the introduction of a slang usage, documented in most newer dictionaries, where the word has a positive and complimentary tone. Most of us are aware of this by now and those who work with young people have long learned to take care. Preachers also need to remember the alternative meaning as although young people know both meanings they often find it difficult to disassociate the word from its positive sense. The preacher who says ‘We are all wicked’ is in danger of giving the impression, at least to some, that he is praising the congregation rather than condemning it.

It is generally accepted that the slang usage began as ‘Jive talk’ popular among mainly African American jazz musicians in the middle of this century. They would speak, for example, of a ‘Wicked horn player’ meaning a saxophonist of great dexterity. Etymologically that parallels an older more mainstream expression wizard, as in ‘He’s a wizard on the keyboards’. This rich expression suggests initiation into an occult though not necessarily evil world where he has gained mastery of his instrument. It is more likely, however, that the use of wicked and similarly bad (‘This is a really bad tune’) as positive terms grew out of the abuse often heaped on jazz musicians, especially people of colour. If jazz music is held to be wicked music then, by definition, the better the music to the ears of those who appreciate it then the more bad or wicked to those that do not.

From the world of jive talk to that of popular music is a short step. Michael Jackson’s 1987 album Bad sold millions. Of course, the double meaning of the word is important here and has been exploited by many others. It is at this point that Isaiah 5:20 is most relevant, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. The word passed to the other electronic media, most notably the world of football commentating. A wicked left foot is one that harms opponents in regard to their chances of winning but that is most desirable from the other team’s point of view. From here the word has passed into general usage in youth culture and beyond.

If there is a Satanic plot afoot here our enemy still has a long way to go. If he does succeed it will not be the first time. The word silly once meant holy! We have coped with that change and as long as we are aware of what is going on there is no reason why we should not be able to cope with this one either.

Originally published in Grace Magazine

Word watching 5 Seminary and Cemetery

One of my favourite malapropisms is the phrase ‘Theological Cemetery’. The deadening effect of too much theology, especially of the liberal or neo-orthodox type, seems well evoked in the picture of theological students heading not for a lively lecture where the Scriptures are made clear but for the quietness of a graveyard. Any similarity between the two words, however, is purely accidental, although both find their roots in Latin.

Seminary is from the Latin seminarium, which means seed-plot, and the word can refer to a piece of ground for sowing and growing plants intended for later transplanting. Interestingly the word nursery is used in a similar way – a place where young plants, as well as young children, are nourished. By extension a seminary can be something similar for the breeding of animals.

By analogy the word was extended as a figure for a place of origin and early development or cultivation, an abundant source for something. In the sixteent century it came to be used for various educational institutions (‘Three little maids who, all unwary, Come from a ladies’ seminary’ wrote W S Gilbert), especially Roman Catholic Colleges for training priests to ‘evangelise England’. Despite that last unwelcome overtone the word eventually won out as a term for evangelical colleges training men for the ministry and is retained today by institutions such as London Theological Seminary, Westminster Theological Seminary, etc. It is a good choice of word as what we trust our seminaries are doing is to provide ‘seedbeds’ for the cultivation of godly and wise ministers. We trust they are breeding men who can be transplanted to church situations where they will thrive and be productive.

The word cemetery is also Latin, but Mediaeval, and conceals a very interesting concept. It comes ultimately from the Greek word for a dormitory (the word koiman means to put to sleep. The word was once spelt in English coemetery). In other words a cemetery is not a place of the dead so much as of those who are sleeping. The New Testament speaks of death for the Christian in these terms, falling asleep in Jesus. It is even said that early Christians would say ‘Good night’ to dying brothers and sisters so sure were they of their coming resurrection. Are we as sure?

So the next time you pray for the young man in the theological seminary or pass the local cemetery think rather of the young man in the theological seedbed or stud-farm and the local dormitory or barracks.

Word watching 4 Pagan

Pagan

Few readers can be unaware of the resurgence in recent years of paganism. Consciously and unconsciously, men and women are seeking to fill the spiritual vacuum created by the general abandonment of Christianity with the old pagan beliefs once rejected by so many. If John Bunyan were writing his Pilgrim’s Progress today he might not write, as he did, of a cave where ‘two giants, Pope and Pagan, dwelt in old time; by whose power and tyranny’ men ‘were cruelly put to death’ nor that ‘Pagan has been dead many a day’. He might have something else to say about Pope too, but that is another matter.

Of course, many are using the word paganism in a technical sense – as referring to a vaguely definable nature religion. However, the word is often used more loosely in at least three other ways.

1. To describe religion outside Judaism before the coming of Christ.

2. To describe the religion of those who have heard the gospel and rejected it.

3. To describe the religion of those who have never heard the gospel.

The word itself has an interesting etymology. It comes directly from Latin and originally meant rustic or peasant, a word that itself has the same roots. Both are ultimately from a word pagus, which referred to a rural district or to the countryside in general. That word itself is probably from pangere to fix, as in fixing a landmark to define an area or, possibly, from a word in the Doric dialect referring to a fountain, as found in every village.

Pagans, then, could be villagers, or sometimes civilians as opposed to the military. Because Christianity first made its mark in the cities and towns, the main urban centres of the Roman Empire, it tended to be peasants, rural folk, country bumpkins we might say, who were the most likely not to have heard of Christ or to be unbelievers. From as early as AD 365 this secondary meaning of pagan began to be used. In his Decline and fall of the Roman Empire Edward Gibbon says ‘Christianity gradually filled the cities of the empire: the old religion … retired and languished in obscure villages; and the word pagans, with its new signification, reverted to its primitive origin.’

Gibbon states that an important element in the rise of the word is that early believers dubbed those not in Christ’s army as ‘Civilians’ or Pagans as they had not taken the sacrament of baptism.

The word heathen, a Germanic word, seems to have similar roots. The dwellers on the heaths away from the towns were later again the slowest to accept the gospel. In the Middle English work Piers Plowman there is an explanation ‘Hethene is to mene after heth, And untiled earth’ although this explanation is disputed.

In Scripture there is no exact equivalent of these words. Rather words for the nations and for the Gentiles take on the meaning of heathen or pagan at times. In Old Testament days the straight choice really was between the true God and the gods of the nations or pagans. Today we discriminate between nominal Christianity, Islam, Judaism and may be more, confining the word pagan to animistic beliefs, but the word also serves as a useful catch-all term for non-Christians found, sadly, both in rural and urban areas.

Word watching 3 Generation X

Generation X

Generation X was a 1964 science-fiction paperback by Charles Hamblett and Jane Deverson. For the last decade or it has been used to refer to young adults born somewhere between 1965 and 1985. Generation X: Tales for an accelelerated culture by Canadian Douglas Coupland appeared in 1991 and gave currency to the term.

What x stands for is debatable. One writer speaks of Xers as a lost generation, becoming adults at the end of a century characterised by economic boom and bust, punctuated by world wars. With high unemployment, easy access to various entertainments, including computers, alcohol, drugs and recreational sex, Xers are often seen to be lacking motivation and unwilling to take on responsibility. The word slacker (as in Richard Linklater’s 1991 film Slackers) has also been used to refer to an apparently lack lustre generation.

Their parents, The baby boomers (c 1945-1965), it is said, were raised in church then left. Baby busters, as Xers are often called, have no Christian base whatsoever. Modernists believed progress was inevitable and were generally optimistic but have given way to postmodernists, who despise rationality and are often pessimistic. Willow Creek pastor Dieter Zander has contrasted them as me generation and we generation. Boomers lived to work, Busters work to live; Boomers desired strong institutions, Busters strong relationships.

AIDS, the effects of divorce, single parenthood, both parents working and so-called ‘blended families’, rebellion against authority, cynicism and loathing for hypocrisy are other traits often noted. Bruce Tulgan has made his name writing about Generation X. He highlights disloyalty, arrogance, short attention span, unwillingness to pay ones dues and the demand for instant gratification. He argues, however, that these are due to growing up experiencing the effects of redundancy, broken homes, information overload and a fast changing world. He argues that these traits have a positive side. Speeches about ‘in my day’ cut no ice, says Tulgan, but Xers do look for mentors who can give what cannot be learned from other sources. Be willing to give them the ‘remote control’ and let them sift through what is on offer. Their apparent laziness is often more a matter of keeping plenty of personal time free, preferring relationships over achievement. ‘Busters have grown up watching the Boomers excel at their jobs and not excel at their homes’ (Zander). There is plenty of evidence of willingness to work hard given the right situation. Others have spoken positively too of a more balanced work ethic – happiness is more important than money; a rediscovery of the individual; enterprise; high social responsibility and high consumer savvy.

Zander has spoken of Generation X’s pain, postmodern mindset, fear, grassroots orientation and spiritual hunger. Perhaps this latter characteristic is the most encouraging. Zander quotes the striking statement in Coupland’s later book Life after God, ‘My secret is that I need God. That I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help me give because I no longer seem to be capable of giving. To help me be kind, as I no longer seem capable of kindness. To help me love, as I seem beyond being able to love’. Many have noted with Chris Seay what he said in an article called Pastor X ‘They’re open to the God thing, but they’re not into the church thing’.

Therefore Zander has a point when he suggests that in communicating with such people we need to be real (they want to know the bottom line and prefer honesty over politeness, says Andres Tapia), rousing, relevant and relational (talked with not at). Tapia, similarly, says Busters look for authenticity (tired of broken promises and commitments, they want honesty, sincerity and the truth), community (Xers often grew up surrounded by people but unable to connect with anyone.), lack of dogmatism, a focus on the arts and diversity. We cannot deny the truth but we can present it in ways that will win people. The preference of many for discussion groups over traditional sermons must be recognised how ever we respond. Racial, economic and ethnic diversity in our churches is an asset.

As Charlene Solomon argues no generation is monolithic, however there are significant ways in which this generation differs from previous ones and we are wise to bear this in mind in regard to Generation X, the rising Generation Y and those that have gone before. If she is right that Xers dislike hearing about the past, inflexibility about time, workaholism, being scrutinised, disrespect, pressure to convert to traditionalist behaviour, disparaging comments about their generation’s tastes and styles surely we are wise to take that on board.

Originally published in Grace Magazine

Since this was written we have had the advent of two more generations:
Millennials, also known as Generation Y are the demographic cohort following Generation X. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years, with 1981-1996 a widely accepted definition.
Generation Z (or Zoomer), is the next demographic cohort. They are typically assigned the mid-1990s to early-2000s as starting birth years with little consensus regarding ending birth years. Members of Generation Z have used digital technology since a young age and are comfortable with the Internet and social media.

Word watching 2 Albedo

Albedo

Excitement over the recent eclipse of the sun has sent some of us scurrying back to our astronomy books. Like any science, astronomy has its own vocabulary and uses some interesting words well worth knowing. One of the most interesting is the word Albedo. The word is from Latin and brings together the word Albus meaning ‘white or whiteness’ and the suffix -edo, meaning ‘bringing forth’. It can refer to the whitish inner portion of the rind on an orange or lemon but when astronomers use it they are thinking of an object’s ability to reflect light (or in some cases any form of electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves to gamma rays). When they speak of a planet’s albedo they are normally referring to its brightness. When light strikes a planet, some is absorbed by the planet’s surface or its atmosphere, and some is reflected or scattered. The albedo is the ratio between how much light strikes an object and how much is reflected.

Of the planets in our solar system Venus has the highest albedo. That is partly why it looks so bright in the sky. It reflects upwards of 65% of the sunlight that hits it. This is because of a blanket of highly reflective clouds surrounding it.

Greek musician Vangelis Papathinassou once released an album called, intriguingly, Albedo 0.39. The title track reels off a list of statistics including

Mean distance from the sun: 92 million 957 thousand and 200 miles

Mean Orbital velocity: 66,000 miles per hour

Length of the mean solar day: 24 hours and 3 minutes and 56.5555 seconds at mean solar time

Length of the mean sidereal day: 23 hours and 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds at mean sidereal time

Mass: 6600 million million million tons

Equatorial diameter: 7,927 miles

Polar diameter: 7,900 miles

The list closes with the repeated phrase, Albedo: 0.39.

Estimates for the earth in fact vary between 30% and 40%. Our moon on the other hand has an albedo of somewhere between 0.10 and 0.17, reflecting only about 10% of the light it receives. The moon appears relatively bright to us only because it is so near.

Of all known objects mirrors have the highest albedos. However, they can only reflect light in one direction and are not perfect reflectors. A small amount of light always gets trapped by the mirror’s surface.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul speaks of how believers all reflect the Lord’s glory and are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. The Christian should increasingly reflect the Lord Jesus in his life. His albedo factor, as it were, should rise with every passing year. Like the moon some may appear to be bright Christians yet in fact do little to reflect the glory of God. Only Jesus Christ, who is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being perfectly reflects the glory of God the Father but we should all endeavour by his grace to shine out for the Lord by reflecting the glory of God as seen in the face of Christ. What is your spiritual albedo number?

This article first appeared in Grace Magazine

Word watching 1 Abortuary

Abortuary

If you are concerned at the high number of abortions that take place in this country and elsewhere you will immediately recognise the point being made in the term ‘abortuary’. Coined in the late 1980s the term is used to refer to an abortion clinic and amalgamates the words abort and mortuary. The purpose is to emphasise that every time an abortion is performed a death results. As much as any mortuary, an abortion clinic is a place of death. Unlike a mortuary, however, the deaths of babies in abortion clinics are all preventable.

An anti-abortion or pro-life group called the Prolife action league is much in favour of this sort of emotive language. In a series of 99 things you can do about abortion they include use of ‘inflammatory rhetoric’. Most of the language they have in mind would only be ‘inflammatory rhetoric’ to pro-abortionists. For example, ‘baby’ rather than foetus, foetal tissue or the outrageous POC (‘product of conception’) and ‘mother’ rather than ‘pregnant woman’ and ‘killing a baby’ rather than ‘interrupting a pregnancy’.

Some doctors object to being known as abortionists. American doctor, Robert Tamis, is an example named by another organisation. He wants to be known as a ‘fertility specialist’ but what many women who seek his help do not realise is that, despite his efforts to help them conceive at other times in the week, on Tuesday and Saturday he kills approximately 20 babies a morning.

Christians are well used to this reticence. Many have a distaste for terms like fornication or adultery and prefer ‘pre-marital sex’ or ‘having an affair’. Perhaps terms like ‘pro-life’ and ‘abortuary’ are inflammatory. The Pro-life action league recognises that constant use of such terms can be counter-productive. Nevertheless such terms can be useful in shocking people into realising what is going on.

Other terms for abortion clinics include ‘Death camp’ and ‘Abortion mill’. The word ‘holocaust’ has often been applied to the whole sorry spectacle of mass death that characterises the twentieth century abortion industry. Such terms emphasise that just as under Hitler a mechanistic, conveyor belt approach to death existed, so, perhaps for the first time in history, abortionists take the same cold, ruthless line with unwanted babies today.

We cannot condone attacks on abortionists and abortion clinics and we may see little point in ‘inflammatory rhetoric’ but we cannot close our eyes to what is going on. Every day in cardboard boxes marked ‘Medical Services - Regulated Medical Waste’ or something similar, mangled, bloody bodies and torn limbs from tiny babies are taken across town to be incinerated. Can we have any sympathy at all for a man like Henry Morgentaler who alone has been personally responsible for some 100,000 abortions in Canada, a man who can say ‘I’m quite proud of this accomplishment ... This is my calling in life, it’s my art … I should be given a medal for the compassionate service I have performed for women in this country’!?

Rather are our sympathies not rather with American Joe Scheidler who says, ‘We live in a sick nation whose highest court legalised child murder, whose medical profession commits the carnage, whose government approves of it, whose legal system defends it, whose legislatures pass laws to protect it … and whose journalists have consistently conducted a program of silence and misinformation regarding this holocaust known as legal abortion.’

This article first appeared in Grace Magazine