Wordless

I will admit to having a thing for words. They simply fascinate me as each one is filled with intrigue and wonder. When speaking, words paint simultaneous pictures (word pictures) in my head. Not being terribly artistic with brush, charcoal or clay, words become for me canvas and paint, color and pad, scalpel and mud. They are most often the tools of my trade.

When observed over the span of space and time, languages evolve and/or die. Even in my life span, the English language has undergone tremendous flux and change. Recently at dinner with my family, I used a word which in my youth meant something to me. My daughters looked at each other and then started laughing at me because the word now has "ghetto meaning" and it was "stupid" for a middle-aged white dad to be speaking street vernacular. Ahh... I see I've officially obtained "geek" status in the eyes of my children! Brilliant!

Greek (not geek) is a beautiful language but difficult to translate into English. The ancient Greeks had several distinct words for "love" but in English we have basically only one. Therefore we "love" our cheeseburgers and we "love" our spouse. We "know" there is a difference between the two. However, I don't recommend you telling your sweetheart you love them and cheeseburgers in the same sentence. You may find yourself eating your next one alone!

When Greek is translated, much of the beauty and reality of the original language is lost. I've read that even the word for the Olympic "games" isn't accurately translated into English. Barbara Brown Taylor relates in one of her books a conversation she once had with a lamenting Greek man who explained his language is dying. He recalled, "These [Olympic] events are not play... they are not sport... the Greek word for what happens at the Olympics has no English equivalent."

Interesting, isn't it? To have a reality within your awareness and have no reasonable way to communicate it. Could there be a frustration greater? To have a thought or feeling and have no "word" to communicate it! Ahh... welcome to my nightmare! Particularly when I'm tired or stressed, I have difficulty attaching the right "word" with the "word picture" in my mind. It really irritates me, to be "word less."

Today, in a prayer session, I was praying with a friend and was struck anew by an old experience. Praying together, we spent nearly as much time in silence as we did in verbal prayer. Neither of us were at all uncomfortable with the silence and words just didn't seem appropriate. I could feel his prayerful intensity and I believe he could sense mine as well. In some manner, it seemed as if the silence was as powerful as the words, if not more so. In fact, my friend confessed verbally to the Lord that he simply "didn't have the words" to express all he felt. When I did speak, I felt like an infant trying to form words for an experience beyond my comprehension. It was blessedly weird.

Being "word less" is appropriate in numerous circumstances. Sometimes a grieving friend needs only for one to sit with them saying nothing. Sometimes love between a married couple is so profound, all that can be said must be said without words. Sometimes tears will replace verbiage. Sometimes holiness demands silence. (See Hab. 2:20-3:2; Ps. 46:10)

Why do we typically feel our prayers must be filled with words? Even Jesus cautioned against the use of too many words (Matt. 6:5-8). Perhaps silence is simply too deafening for our spiritual ears? If I continue making noise, I may not have to listen to what the Lord has to say. But if I am silent, it leaves me vulnerable to the sounds, words and experiences I perhaps have yet to hear.

If languages must die (and they certainly do when there exists no words in the dominant language for which to translate them) then perhaps we would do well to let our own words occasionally "die" as well. Perhaps we need to become "wordless?"

What do you think?

If you are willing, perhaps you will use words to communicate how you feel about it.