Spring 2017

18 / 32

18
“D addy, what’s that?” My two-year-old daughter’s
question interrupted my train of thought only
slightly as I continued packaging orders for ship-
ment in our family business. “Daddy, what’s that?” she repeated,
pointing to the colorful stack of puzzles and toys waiting for
shipment next to me. With a house full of children and a small
family business, questions and conversation are a natural part of
our life. With my mind still occupied primarily with my work at
hand, I replied briefly, “Toys for customers.”Not satisfied with my
answer, Kailyn repeated her question again.
As homeschool parents, we love to see the constant discus-
sion and learning that takes place all around us on a constant
basis. Just today, we had a discussion about life in Denmark fol-
lowing a missionary presentation at church, and a more lengthy
discussion about adverbial subordinate clauses with my oldest
child. My head is still reeling from the latter conversation, and
I’m grateful for Google as I attempt to stay one step ahead of
their questions. Indeed, moments of solitude have become a
cherished treasure to my wife and me. Most of our children are
still in the stage of gathering information and ideas, and the
constant conversation ranges from the simple to the complex.
But why the emphasis on conversation? One of my favorite
Scripture verses is I Timothy 4:12 where youngTimothy is exhort-
ed to be an example of the believers in six specific areas. The first
two items on the list relate specifically to our speech and com-
munication with others. Solomon states in the Book of Proverbs
that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Nathaniel
Hawthorne voiced a similar concept when he wrote, “Words - so
innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary,
how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one
who knows how to combine them.” Let us not forget that the
heavens and earth were created by the spoken word, and Jesus
Christ is described in the Book of John as “TheWord.” If we are to
raise a generation of godly leaders, skilled communication is a
vital part of the equation.
The second item in Paul’s charge to Timothy is translated in
the King James Version as “conversation.” Over the years, the
word “conversation” has gradually shifted in meaning. Webster’s
1828 Dictionary defined conversation as 1. General course of
manners; behavior; deportment; especially as it respects morals.
2. A keeping company; familiar intercourse; intimate fellowship
or association; commerce in social life. 3. Intimate and familiar
acquaintance; as a conversation with books, or other object. and
4. Familiar discourse; general intercourse of sentiments; chat; un-
restrained talk; opposed to a formal conference. The latter defini-
tion is what comes to mind in today’s world, but upon reflection,
all four definitions provide a good summary of our approach to
life and learning. Our conversation is our communication with
others and our subsequent companionship. We converse with
good books and great ideas in our pursuit of learning, and our
discussion of daily topics reveals an expression of our life.
The commands of Deuteronomy 6, the Jewish Shema, to love
God and to teach His words to our children offers an interesting
illustration of the importance of conversation as a tool of learn-
ing and remembrance. God’s people were given several com-
mands. Hear. Memorize. Repeat. Discuss throughout the day.
The daily ebb and flow of life was to be filled with conversation
about God’s work and His commands. The ultimate goal was not
the repetition of words but, rather, the ultimate expression of a
life that honored God. Conversation was a tool to help accom-
plish that goal.
It has become abundantly clear that we have all but lost the
ability to converse in our modern American culture. One has
only to observe the great numbers of people with glazed eyes
staring at the screens of their electronic devices, or perhaps
intercept a text “conversation” from the average teenager’s cell
“DADDY, WHAT’S THAT?”
By Jimmy Morris