A word… Can it be an obstacle for understanding something?

We decided to host a foreign exchange student in our home the year that our daughter was a senior.   Kristine, from Norway, came to live with us. While driving to the lake, on our first short trip together, I had prepared some brownies to eat in the car.  I asked Kristine if she would like a brownie…she held up her finger indicating, “wait just a moment”, she looked in her translation book and then had a funny look on her face.  She said, “You want to give me a camera?”  (for those that are younger…there once was a camera named “Brownie”)  We all laughed and realized there are different meanings for the same word.  Kristina was happy the brownie I offered meant a sweet dessert!

A word could be an obstacle for understanding something!  We can get lost in the meaning of words.  I found that when I heard a term/word used, and I applied my understanding of that word based on what I had understood it to mean, I would be offended.  For example, the word “Conversion”.  As I understood the word…  My conversion to Christ happened at a very young age…so when someone Catholic would say to me about being converted to Catholicism… I thought…”I am already converted to Christ.”  Conversion has many aspects to its meaning.   Yes, we can get bogged down with the meaning of a word if we don’t know where a person is coming from… just like the English language… a word can mean opposites.. i.e.

dust: 1 to remove dust. 2 to cover with dust.

hysterical: 1 frightened and out of control. 2 funny.

fast: 1 moving quickly. 2 solid and unable to move.

con·vert – dictionary definition…

1.  to change (something) into a different form or properties; transmute; transform.
2.  to cause to adopt a different religion, political doctrine, opinion, etc.: to convert the heathen etc.   
What is true conversion? Is it merely “professing Christ as Lord and Savior”?  It depends on how you use the word… so if you are not Catholic, don’t get offended  if someone talks to you about conversion into the Catholic Church.
Yes, a word could be an obstacle for understanding…  I got over being offended when I realized what  the Catholic church meant regarding conversion.  Conversion is one of those words that holds several meanings.  So as I wrote before, don’t get bogged down when it comes to some words used… keep an open mind and find out.  I will say here that not all Catholics understand the churches meaning behind some words used, so if you talk to someone who seems confused…ask them directly what the church teaches, not what they think it teaches.  Aren’t we all like that…we make assumptions on here say, rather on finding out the truth from a reliable source.  I know I am.    The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the various facets of conversion and I will share with you some of those points in a future post.  I will leave you with a verse today…
2 Timothy 2:14

 Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.
No wrangling allowed….