Lost in Translation
June 24th, 2008 Posted in Church, Church PlantingI grew up playing sports and have continued playing a variety of sports such as adult softball. I have taken a few years off from playing due to pursuing my graduate studies in seminary and I promised my wife after finishing my degree that I would not add a lot of extra things to my schedule. As a result, I have NOT been playing softball the last few years.
I was called this past Saturday (6-21-08) by Jeff to be recruited to play softball with his team and he desperately needed me since some of his team could not play. (Please no jokes about Jeff being desperate and calling ME.) I could not say no in such a time of need! I couldn’t think of a good reason outside of missing the Diamond DAWGS playing on ESPN to reach the finals of the College Baseball World Series, which by the way they WON and they are IN the finals.
Surprisingly, I hit the ball well a few times, most specifically I hit a ball to the fence down the left field line. As the ball got passed the left fielder I immediately had a cranial explosion, “I should kick it into a higher gear and as a result, I am thinking “triple”, maybe even inside the park “homer”!
When a thought originates in the brain, it has to be sifted and examined by the body for a correct and safe response. A healthy translation results in an equally healthy action from the body.
The problem I encountered on the ball that got by the left fielder was that my brain was thinking “run faster”. The translation was not received adequately by my body. The result of the “lost translation” was that my face hit the ground after rounding first based. It wasn’t pretty!
I think this explains (however poorly) the lack of credibility in the western or American Church. We understand the truth in our brain, but the truth gets “lost in translation” and doesn’t result in transformed bodily actions. As a result, the church is known for talking about truth but not living it out in action.
We must as a church apply truth to our lives in such a way that the culture takes notice of transformed lives. Truth changes things and transforms lives.
May we embody truth as well as proclaiming truth! We have the truth living in us! John 14:6
One Response to “Lost in Translation”
By Shane Smith on Jun 24, 2008
I enjoyed playing some softball with ya!