During my reading in Lenard Sweet’s “The Gospel According to Starbucks” I began to be thinking about language.
Coffee in many languages. Image via: ax2groin
Everyone speaks a language. We all can relate to what I am about ti say. Starbucks has it’s own language. IT teams have their own language. Missionaries have their own language. Everybody in some way or the other speaks in their own language, some would call it jargon.
Language can build people up, but it also can tear you down. We use language every day. Do we think about the way we use it? Often times that is not the case.
The way Starbucks uses language really astounds me. They have their own terminology for their drinks, employees, and their customers. Try walking into Starbucks and ordering a “cup of coffee.” You’ll get weird looks from every person in the building. However, Starbucks employees understand that not everyone knows their language. They are understanding when people order a small coffee instead of a tall. In fact, this is something that I have done a couple of times.
The way that Starbucks responds to people is the way that the church should respond as well. Often times we use these words that we assume everyone knows like, sanctification, or justification, or Omnipotent.
We need to keep in mind that the common person doesn’t know what these words mean. When interacting with a new believer or non-believer its key to keep in mind simple language and use it as if we are talking to a young kid, while still showing the person that we are talking to the proper respect.
