New Feature

I am introducing a new feature here at The Blog. Or should I say, the Blog.

The Emergent Translator

Because Emergent speak (or emergespeak) is so often impenetrable to the non-fluent speaker, I thought it would benefit the whole church if I invented a handy-dandy translator, so that my beloved readers could decipher what lies at the heart of the "emerging conversation."

In fact, let's try that very word:

"Emerging conversation"

(dramatic pause)

выходить беседа

Oops, I'm sorry that was the Russian translator.

Here we go:

::::Emerging Conversation::::

Translation: A form of interaction that places more value on the expression of ideas, and the invention of ideas, than on the truth which underlies these ideas, striving to be self-expressive rather than conforming to anything outside of self.

Hmmm...the translator is a little wordy. I think it is trying to be too polite. Let's try that again, the less polite version.

::::Emerging Conversation::::

Translation: Truth doesn't matter, but my random ideas do!

That's a bit more concise. But certainly ruder. Let's try it with a bit longer work. This is by one Brian McLaren.

::::You mentioned Islam, this is one of our critical challenges, how do we act as Christians toward members of other religions? We know how to persecute, we know how to ignore, we know how to convert. But what about people who don't want to be converted, and can't be ignored, and we say we shouldn't persecute—how should we relate to them? That's such an obvious and important question.::::

Translation: Evangelizing amongst Muslims is hard, and you can't make me do it!

Ah, the translator. So useful don't you think?