We all know that talking someone into something usually means getting someone to do something he or she might not otherwise not want to do.
But how about “talking into being”? Here is an example: In college, I took a course in first-year French. Knowing how French was pronounced (especially from the way it looked on the printed page) seemed like a mystery to me. But, our French instructor knew how we could talk ourselves into being French-speakers. He invited the whole class over to his apartment where he and his wife served desserts and talked with us (not “to us”) in French. I learned as much listening to them and holding up my end of the conversation in French as I did studying a page in the text book and filling in the right answers in the accompanying drills. I was talking myself into mastering French.
Well, so much for French. But what about learning to speak another language, say the Christian language for example?
In her book, Almost Christian, Kendra Creasy Dean writes about “The Art of Testimony.” Now, “testimony” like “talking someone into something” makes us uncomfortable when we first hear it. But, all “testimony” means is telling someone what we believe to be true. And that starts with words we use to express what we know.
Long before Christianity had written scriptures or a prayer book, it was spoken religion. In our Holy Eucharist, the “Word of God” is not silent reading, but a member of the congregation reading out loud. Saying those words forms us into Christian men and women. Our prayers do, too. I’m convinced that saying the Prayer for the Human Family (see below) has made us into people who are more aware of our common humanity as God’s work and more willing to accept others. In other words, we are talking ourselves into being Christian.
A fellow Christian writes:
“We don’t just say things we already believe. To the contrary, saying things out loud is part of how we come to believe. We talk our way toward belief, talk our way from tentative belief through doubt to firmer belief, talk our way toward believing more fully, more clearly, and more deeply. Putting things into words is one of the ways we acquire knowledge, passion, and conviction.”
We talk ourselves into being Christian.
As Lent and Easter approaches, we Christians turn our thinking to who Jesus is, why he was born, to his death and resurrection and what they mean to us. Our scriptures and prayers give us the words and those words will form who we are if we say them. The Christian story becomes our story as we say “Jesus”, “love”, “sacrifice” to each other, our children, others who will see in us just what that story and those words mean. This is testimony. It’s making our own the words we hear and say in Scripture, creed, and prayer. And as these words form us into being Christians, we join the company of those women who went from the tomb on Easter morning to bear testimony to others. We say, “Here’s how it went, here’s what I saw. I’ve been there and I’m going back.”
The Rev. Robert Legnani
Rector, St. Stephen’s Church – Beverly, NJ
A Prayer for the Human Family (Book of Common Prayer, page 815):
God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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