the centuri0n and the mechanic

Frank Turk, or better known as the Centuri0n, has a great comment on Dan Phillips' Chan's biggest mistake.

... the way we talk to people.

Now, listen: when I talk to my mechanic about my family bus, he's the technician and I'm the guy who knows where the folllowing things are: the key hole, the radio, the lighter jack (for my belkin TuneBase), the window switches, and the locks. Oh: brakes and gas, too. After that, he could tell me that the gerbil in the running wheel has broken his leg, and I'd have to believe him because I am utterly blank on the subject of how an gas engine works, or what parts constitute it.

So when he talks to me, and he's an honest guy (thank God), he has to tell me things like, "the part which keeps the car from stalling is worn out", or "do you know what the distributor is? {sigh} it's the part that makes the electricity got to the spark plugs in the right order. {sigh} it helps the car run ..." You get the idea: he's a guy with excellent technical knowledge, and he knows that he's talking to someone woth the equivalent of a Sesams Street education about something which involves both of us in a pretty direct way.

Now, when he talks to the part warehouse, I am sure he tells them exactly what he needs -- maybe down to the part numbers, or the serial numbers, or the VIN number of the van, or whatever. Because it's one technician to another, one expert to another, one guy who is informed talking to another guy who is informed.

The Christian life is like this, and the Gospel is like this. Many of us are technicians, and we want to talk to people as if they are technicians. What if we talked to them as if they had no idea what we were talking about, but we both had a vested interest in what "us" was trying to tell "them"?

Like a mechanic talking to me about what's wrong with my vehicle. Only eternal hell is at stake. Would that be right or wrong?

I agree with what he says. And I'm pleasantly surprised - surprised because I sensed team pyro and many of the bloggers they link to have issues with postmoderns, emergents, seeker-sensitives, etc.. I think they would argue that their real issue is theological but if one reads the critique, there's a lot of assumption in there. I contend that some of the issues are not really theological but more about communication. And whether they accept responsibility or not, many of their readers have formed judgments toward these groups based solely on the manner of communication the group has adapted.

I think there are some theological concerns and it would be refreshing if the pundits could focus on those rather than making up issues based on how something was communicated or some fine point was left out or ....

But that's not my main point. My main point is that I agree with Turk and to do what he suggests without making up stuff or leaving out significant stuff is tricky business. We need to get smarter about how we do that. I'm not completely sure how to do that but I know two elements that will definitely help.

1. learn the Gospel - and then learn it again and again. Read your Bible!
2. communicate the Gospel - until you share it, it isn't really Gospel ... and the more you share it, the clearer it will become to yourself and to those that hear it.

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