COLUMN: Religious terms can be confusing

 When I was a young child I spent many days with my grandparents, Papa and Mother. Their house was right next door to Beard’s country store in Buffalo.

One morning, Mother sent me to the store to get her a wet mop (as opposed to a dust mop). I skipped across the drive and bounded into the store. The owner was busy with customers and didn’t really pay any attention to me because I was in there so often.

I proceeded to the section of the store where mops hung on the wall. I went from mop to mop, feeling each one. I then left the store and ran back to my grandparent’s house. As I hurried through the back door, I announced, "They didn’t have any wet mops! I felt of every one and they were all dry!"

Needless to say, my grandparents and the rest of our community got quite a chuckle out of my innocent mistake. The local doctor, Dr. Crabtree, started calling me "Wet Mop" every time he saw me and to this day, 50 years later, he still knows me by that nickname.  

I truly thought I'd understood my grandmother's request, but we'd definitely had a major miscommunication. Faulty communication can cause confusion and misinterpretation even when we're witnessing to those around us.

Often when we speak of our spiritual or church lives, we use terms like "saved,” "baptized,” "repentance,” and the people we are speaking to may have no idea at all or they may just misinterpret what we mean due to their background or culture. We need to speak simply and give examples when dealing with individuals who may not understand us.

I challenge you to write out your testimony. Now, go back and cross out any "churchy" words. Rewrite your testimony in clearer, more concise wording. Keep a copy in your Bible and keep revising it until you’re comfortable with it. Pray for opportunities to share your testimony with others being careful to not confuse issues that are life-changing and have eternal consequences.