"The
word "conversation" does not merely mean our talk and converse with
one another, but the whole course of our life and behaviour in the world. The
Greek word signifies the actions and the privileges of citizenship: and thus we
are commanded to let our actions, as citizens of the New Jerusalem, be such as
becometh the gospel of Christ. What sort of conversation is this? In the first
place, the gospel is very simple. So Christians should be simple and plain in
their habits. There should be about our manner, our speech, our dress, our
whole behaviour, that simplicity which is the very soul of beauty.
This concept as it regards to conversation, particularly as the Greek origins denote, is perplexing and particularly bewildering departure to conventional understandings of conversation. It's become the contemporary view of conversation as an exercise of "shooting the breeze" or "small talk", almost as a means to pass the time or engage the wind. The fascinating thing about the Greek exegesis of this word was the implication of conversation literally meant altering "whole course of our life and behavior in the world". What a contrast to what we apply the word to, and what a stark difference in how we measure it! Imagine, for a moment, that the depth of your conversations had the ability and the weight to alter the entire course of a life, whether it be your own or that of another. Be at ease, and imagine no longer. Your conversations have the ability to do these very things.
"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ." — Philippians 1:27
In Philippians 1, Paul was imploring Phillipi to stop making conversation that was fruitless and empty, but to rather supplement their conversation so richly with the gospel that it be just as much a spiritual exercise as it was one of the tongue. Paul's ultimate desire was to have their words be so indistinguishable from the gospel truth that these words be become a harmonious collective of truth. In essence, inspired words from the Inspired Word. The NIV translation reads that those were to "conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Paul nary interprets the method of conversation as an idle pursuit, rather, something that not only defines how we interact with people, but also the nature of how we conduct ourselves in the presence of others. We have this particular notion and affinity to drift in and out of conversations that don't engage or enrapture us at a particular time. Thusly, we often only receive partial pieces of a far greater and more spectacular story.
The troublesome aspect of such behavior is by delving in and out of the course of our conversations, we literally "sleep" though the parts that are capable of changing the entire course of our lives, conversely the parts that can transform theirs. The respondent and respond-er very with the level of of attenuation to the conversation, leading to unmet expectations and complacently.
Though in the particular scripture, Paul does not ask that those he is writing practice psychoanalysis in the course of their conversation, or be fantastic in their ability to decipher true motivations. Rather he stresses the simplistic nature of the practice. That it matters not as much that we have unpacked the conversation fully, but that we have honored that conversation it it's appropriate regard. When we honor the weight of the words in the context of who we are speaking to, our conduct becomes more worthy. We offer another person's words worth, empathy, understanding, care, faith, and resonance. When this is applied to a larger conversation, those participants can exit that conversation feeling respected, honored, gracious and thankful for the blessings of those words, regardless of the nature of the actual message. This is why Spurgeon regards conversational "simplicity as the very soul of beauty." When we drift in and out or sleep though these conversations, it obscures or view and perspective of that potential beauty. And beautiful in words gospel-inspired conversation is.
I pray that your conversations become worthy of the impartation of the Gospel, that those words no longer be simply idle language, but rather, be simple and powerful in it's understanding, and take on the very soul of beauty in it's purpose.
