Say
What?
by Mary Hogan
As
the title suggests, the aim of this column is to take a second
look at concepts and phrases we tend to think of as common currency.
Exploring their root meanings, historical twists and turns in
usage - and what we really understand by them - may get us out
of some traditional but unnecessary dialectical boxes. For followers
of the Word, it's ironic how often we let words get in our way.
Our amazing gift of speech is mean for communicating truth - for
conveying the realities of what is and the wonders of what can
be. Yet we persist in using words to bludgeon and obfuscate, mislead
and manipulate. (Who spins best, wins?)
Just
as often, of course, there is no deceptive intent - we simply
assume that everyone's understanding of a term is the same as
ours, and forge ahead or take offense accordingly. Khrushchev's
folk-quote about seeing one's opponents in their graves could
have been read as a mocking "We will outlast you," but translated
as a belligerent "We will bury you," and evoked near-lethal repercussions.
Sociologists tell us that what is perceived as real is real in
its effects. Leery of our tendency to argue in absolutes, theologians
advise "never affirm, seldom deny, and always distinguish." Taking
time for that Thomistic level of discernment doesn't always jibe
well with contemporary impatience for action, but we're facing
enough real dilemmas and grounds for debate without letting casual
usage or unexamined concepts skew our dialog and growth. Unfortunately,
Lewis Carroll's Humpty Dumpty "When I use a word, it means just
what I choose it to mean," is not as unique as he might be. (His
further insistence that the question is "which is to be master"
deserves a follow-up column all to itself.)
Could
goal-refinement and reconciliation both be enhanced by re-examining
words and ideas we sometimes take for granted - or sometimes overload?
To what extent, e.g.,
- is "authority"
tied more to authenticity or authoritarianism?
- does
"freedom" tilt toward "freedom from" or "freedom to"?
- is knowledge
more than "learned ignorance"?
- does
"choice" entail unfettered whim or responsibility for consequences?
- does
"power" convey positives or negatives, imply domination or
capacity?
- is "faith"
identified with basic trust or wishful thinking?
- does
"equal voice" signify a right to be heard or the weight of
input?
- can "and"
be more productive than "or"?
If
we can reflect openly on some of our buzzwords and preconceptions
- are willing in imitation of Christ to think radically, i.e.,
"at the root," rather than in conservative or liberal clichés
- the process might help us grow in genuine humility, ability
to listen, and evocative insights. We may keep finding more questions
than answers, but that's O.K. too, as we place them in the care
of the Omega, Whose grace and path call us forward.
Speaking
of word roots, have you ever wondered about the derivation of
"god" for the Deity? Clearly not from Deus, Theos, El or Yahweh,
it has been traced through Old Norse to the ancient Sanskrit Ghuta:
the One (to be) invoked, and Old Irish Guth: Voice (the
One Who spoke). We could speculate that, like VOTF, it's all been
about right relationships and conversation from the beginning,
so let's pray we stay on that track. Please email your thoughts
on the above and any other prospective for this column to saywhat@votf.org.
