Speak with Authority

Here is a poem from the slam-poet genius, Taylor Mali, talking about how our generation sucks at saying what they want to say. We add so many things to our explanations, and ..... well, I think he says it well, and sarcastically, because that is a real 'virtue' of our generation as well.

TOTALLY LIKE WHATEVER, YOU KNOW?
- taylor Mali
"In case you hadn't noticed,
it has somehow become uncoll
to sound like you know what you're talking about?
Or believe strongly in what you're saying?
Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know?)'s
have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences?
Even when those sentences aren't, like, questions? You know?

Declaritive sentences - so-called
because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true
as opposed to other things which were, like, not -
have been been infected by a totally hip
and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know?
Like, don't think I'm uncool just because I've noticed this;
this is just like the word on the street, you know?
It's like what I've heard?
I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay?
I'm just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?

What has happened to our conviction?
Where are the limbs out on which we once walked?
Have they been, like, chopped down
with the rest of the rain forest?
Or do we have, like, nothing to say?
Has society become so, like, totally....
I mean absolutely.... You know?
That we've just gotten to the point where it's just like....
whatever!

And so actually our disarticulation...ness
is just a clever sort of...thing
to disguise the fact that we've become
the most aggressively inarticulate generation
to come along since....
you know, a long, long time ago!

I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you,
I challenge you: To speak with conviction.
To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks
the determination with which you believe it.
Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker,
it is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY.
You have to speak with it, too."


What a challenge, to make each word count, especially in our sharing Christ with people. Be articulate and allow for Christ to speak through you. I really like the line "To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks the determination with which you believe it." If you really trust Jesus, then speak with confidence about Him, no matter how hard it is - determine to trust Him and not your fears. Speak with boldness, power and discipline - because God has not given us a spirit of timidity!
It's hard to speak clearly, but let's work on it, for the conveying of the gospel. (and saving more of our breath maybe).....

Dwight