Pitch White?

I have never been known as a linguist. In fact, I would say the opposite is true. Vanessa (my wife) has always laughed at how I can mess-up words and terms. Let’s take for instance “pitch black”. Obviously this was used to depict “really, really black”, like pitch, or tar. One day while talking with my wife, I referenced something as “pitch white”. Oops…guess that wouldn’t work would it? Vanessa has always said that we should start writing them down and publish a book at some point. It would definitely be pretty funny.

But through the years, I have begun to realize the importance of using words in their true meaning. Let’s look at a simple word like “gentleman”. This was a term originally used to depict a man of some significant wealth derived from property, or legacy, and was thus independently wealthy and did not need to work. For many years in the United States, this term was properly used when referring to those of a more noble class. But over the years it has lost its meaning. People did not want to offend those who were not “gentlemen”, so they began to compromise the use. The term became more consistent with men, or man, in general, thus losing the significance of its meaning.

Today we find the term gentleman used when a door is opened for a lady, or a man does something generous for someone else. They are then considered to be a “gentleman”.

Our society, especially today, mixes words and meaning to the point that they no longer hold their value. We “love” our hamburgers, and “need” a new television. Our society has minimized the effect of many of our words.

One of the terms that I hate to hear misused, which I have seen quite a bit of lately, is the word “martyr”. Originating from the Greek, martyrs were those who suffered persecution leading to death for their country, religion, or refusing to denounce a belief inconsistent with society or their persecutors.

But today we find many uses of the word martyr out of context. I read a story just recently about a man who went on a short-term mission trip, and while relaxing one night, was killed in an explosion. Now don’t get me wrong; his death was unfortunate and I am sure this man was a wonderful man. In fact, I did some reading on the story and find the man to be a wonderful man with incredible desire to help others. The kind of man I would be proud to associate myself with for sure. But many stories and comments made about him referred to him as a martyr, an incredible martyr at that, because he died while on the mission field.

This is where we need to be careful. This man was a good man, an honest man, and possibly even a gentleman (don’t know – just thought I would add it for the fun of it!). But what he was not is a martyr. He did not die in persecution refusing to denounce his faith in Christ. This does not make him any less of a man, or good man, it just does not make him a martyr.

When we use terms out of context we lose the meaning of the word over time. I pray one day to die for my faith. I pray, as a missionary, that it will happen that my testimony is such that people will say that I was persecuted and ultimately died serving the one I love - CHRIST. But if not, if I die in a car accident on the mission field, or if I die of malaria while ministering to those in Liberia please don’t consider me a martyr. Let’s keep the word separate for those who truly died for their faith like the Stephen, Luke, Barnabas, Hans Brael, Jim Elliot, and others who have truly died proclaiming Christ in the face of persecution!

Luke 14:26, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple.”

Lord give us the strength to serve you even unto death! Give us Consuming Faith!