I recently saw the new Transformers movie, and to my surprise Optimus Prime said a cuss word. It was following a fight scene in which they’d engaged the decepticons (I’m more nerd than I ever let on). When prime killed him he said, “punk a@% decepticon”…it was hilarious, and strange for it to be coming from him, but it made quickly realize that this wasn’t the Transformers I grew up with. This was a contextualized prime, contextualized to earth in the 21st century, speaking the language of 21st century earth.
I know this is silly, using Transformers as a lesson in contextualization, I knew that as soon as the idea popped into my head, but my mind works in strange ways sometimes, and in this instance it reminded me that as a missionary in the city of Atlanta, I need to know the language of downtown Atlanta. I need to know the language of my context, so that in sharing the gospel I say it in a language that those I am sharing it with understand what I am saying.
This is no epiphany, just a reality check. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the work of ministry that we forget to sharpen the tools it requires. Learn the language of your context, and share the gospel in that way.
