“…it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person,
but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.”
~Matthew 15:11

Over the past several years, I have come to despise the term “Politically Correct” and all of its various conjugations. I’ve heard the term more in the last year – coincident with the already-contentious presidential election and the emergence of the “Black Lives Matter” movement – mostly used with contempt or as slander, and mostly when someone wants to appeal to a base (and I do mean base) constituency that is resistant to confronting societal ills, injustice, and systems of oppression.

The current socio-political-cultural atmosphere in the U.S. seems especially divisive and divided with little room for nuance or intelligent conversation – – or at least that’s the impression one could get from politicians and pundits. Instead of the noble goal of human (or even national) unity, there is instead a campaign to calcify the “Us vs Them” mentality, more deeply entrench people within their cultural bubble, and perpetually pit people against each other out of fear of the other – – whoever that “other” may need to be in a given election cycle. To soften or even reconsider one’s stance on or opinion of a certain group of people and/or the urgent issues related to that group is anathema, or at least showing weakness. Even the very simple action of choosing and using words that are culturally sensitive or at least not offensive to the “other” is slandered as being too “Politically Correct.” Truthfully, I do not understand why that is so hard or forbidden. I do not believe that defending one’s “right” to use hateful or offensive speech is a hill worth dying on.

Rather, I now believe that claiming that one is not “politically correct” (in its current popular usage) is a thinly veiled excuse for one’s racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, or any other phobia borne out of a lethal combination of ignorance, fear, and privilege. It seems like it is often a doubling down and a refusal to acknowledge that the words we choose to use and the way we choose to describe other people can and do have a real, deep impact.

But I am not interested in being “Political Correct.” I do not strive to be “Politically Correct” chiefly because I believe the term and all it has come to mean mischaracterizes and trivializes what is at the heart of that effort. Most essentially, the call here is for all of us to speak in ways that show respect and sensitivity to others. There is nothing political or partisan about showing respect and sensitivity to our fellow Children of God. There have been countless times when I have chosen my words poorly – – sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes being unaware of the appropriate and current preferred terminology, sometimes in an ill-conceived attempt at humor, but rarely out of malice. I have certainly done this in my time as your Associate Pastor, and chances are good that I’ll do it again. No one likes to be corrected or to feel like they have done something wrong, yet I greatly appreciate the people who have taken a moment to inform me that the language or terms that I have used are considered offensive, are outdated, or have a problematic etymology. I am open to growing, to understanding my siblings better – – especially when folks move within a cultural context with which I am not familiar or a part of myself, and doubly so when I am being shown where my position of privilege has rendered me unable to hear other voices.

Being someone who wants to treat others with the greatest respect – – both through my words and actions – – I admit that I sometimes feel hamstrung by my desire to say the “right” thing or at least not unintentionally offend people – would it serve me better to be silent? No. Like so many of us, I do the best that I can with the best intentions, all while remaining open to the possibility that my word choices need modification. Educating myself on appropriate and preferred words, names, terms, and phrases nurtures my understanding of others and increases my empathy and compassion. And when that happens, I am more likely to understand the “other” more deeply, and the lines between “Us vs. Them” begin to fade.

We can pretend that the words we say don’t matter, that people should just “toughen up,” that we are entitled to “Freedom of Speech,” or that we don’t want to be censored. And yet we all know that children and adults alike can suffer real trauma through continued verbal abuse. And while prolonged patterns of verbal abuse are one thing, the often casual and sometimes malevolent use of terms, words, and expressions that offend, degrade, and dehumanize others is like a death by a thousand cuts: no single injury is fatal, but the culmination of the wounds brings eventual demise – but only after a slow and excruciating ordeal.

So maybe think of it that way if you are resistant to or even defiant about striving to use language that is respectful and sensitive: each time we use a word that offends, degrades, or dehumanizes a fellow Child of God, we are adding yet another cut to their progressively eviscerated soul, to the image of God that dwells inside of them, just as it dwells inside of us. Your choice to use respectful and sensitive language is not political or weak – it is a healing ointment, or at least one less cut.

Peace & Blessings,
Chris