[Let there be] neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

  - Ephesians 5.4

There are three or four faults common to otherwise virtuous persons, such as being given to drawing others into endless chatter, and also addiction to delicacies.

  - The Rule of Ciarán, Irish, 7th or 8th century[1]

The Seinfeld Show, we recall, advertised itself as a “show about nothing.” It had no real plot, but simply careened through one situation to the next, going nowhere and offering nothing but comic relief.

This was part of the genius of Jerry Seinfeld. He understood that people don’t want to think; they want to laugh. And if he could get them to laugh about everyday, mundane issues and things, then he could lighten their load without their having to deal with anything at a level deeper than mere entertainment.

This show was so incredibly popular because it reached an entire generation’s itch at precisely the point it likes to be scratched. The Seinfeld Show offered nothing of significance, and when it dealt with matters that might be important, it did so in a trivial and flippant manner. Everything – even serious issues of relationships and life – could be easily endured, dismissed, and forgotten after a few laughs.

Neil Postman wrote about our generation that we are so “amused to death” by television that we can’t carry on an intelligent conversation for more than a few moments. Certain critics are warning that this situation is beoming worse in the Internet age, where what seems to matter most is that satisfaction of each person’s narcissistic urges and desire to be clever or famous – if only for fifteen minutes.

Many people don’t want to talk about serious matters; they just want to be entertained. Or to be the center of attention.

But should this be true of those who have been redeemed and commissioned by the Word of Life? Who are citizens and ambassadors of an eternal Kingdom? Do we not have more significant, meaningful, urgent, and beautiful words to convey than the drivel and trivia that so often fill casual conversation?

We can hardly expect people to take us seriously, when we want to talk about eternal things, if a large portion of the rest of our speech is nothing more than words about nothing. The Scripture has much to say about how we should use our tongues, and it specifically warns against wasting our words on endless, mindless chatter.

God has entrusted His truth to earthen vessels – you and me! He does not want that truth to be hidden away or diluted by the narcissism and banality of the age. We receive the truth of God so that we might live and proclaim it, because we recognize that life is not about nothing, but about Christ and His glory and His filling-all-things-in-all-things agenda.

We have the Word of Life living in us. Let us devote our speech to representing, celebrating, explicating, and exemplifying Him!

Think ahead to the opportunities you’ll have for conversation today, and begin thanking the Lord for each one as you prepare to minister His grace and truth by your words.

Psalm 117 (Lauda Anima: “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven”)
Praise the Lord! All nations, praise Him!
Magnify Him, peoples all!
He is great, His steadfast love keeps
All who on His favor call!
Evermore His faithfulness will bless
His people, great and small!

Lord, I have only one tongue: Teach me to use it to relate Your wonders. Adapted from Saltair na Rann

Working at conversation
Download the free ReVision study, “Seasoned with Grace,” and begin working on your conversational skills (click here). Enlist a friend to join you in this study, and encourage and assist one another to make the most of your opportunities to talk about the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.