[This reflection by Dazz Jones was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 29/Jun/2025]
In church, people sometimes talk to me as if I have mystical powers – or as though I’m God’s favourite, just because I’m one of the pastors. Other times, they take on a different tone or demeanour when they speak to me, compared to how they talk with others. They might try to sound more profound or, for lack of a better word, more spiritual.
I don’t think they’re trying to impress me – it usually makes me smile. And it makes me reflect: don’t we all, from time to time, try to sound especially wise or biblically insightful?
We’ve all played that game. We want the other “church people” to think we’re knowledgeable Christians.
For the most part, that’s fine – maybe even good! It’s a healthy desire to want to know God more deeply, to understand His Word, and to encourage others. Those are God-given desires – the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
But here’s the tension: when I read the words of Jesus, He often took complex ideas and made them simple. He didn’t speak in lofty theological terms or with high-brow chatter. In fact, He warned His disciples not to pray with empty, wordy performance:
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”
Matthew 6 v7
In much of our modern Western church culture, we tend to celebrate charisma and eloquence. We admire those who always seem to know the right thing to say about God. But if we want to grow in genuine understanding and faith, perhaps we need to revisit how Jesus spoke – through simple stories, direct teaching, and sincere conversation.
The Gospel is a simple truth: God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die in our place, so that we might live with Him forever.
There’s nothing more – and nothing less – we can do to change that.
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Last week’s reflection: Jesus in the Book of Daniel
Contributed by Dazz Jones; © Dazz Jones