Grammar to the Glory of God

Soli Deo Gloria. If we as believers must truly desire to give glory to God in all aspects of life, then why should we forget what some would call "minute" details? Come along with me on this one; I think it might be an eye-opening Sunday afternoon drive.

I have been slowly chewing on the ideas in a book called Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. She bestows quite a hilarious approach to grammar and encourages the reader to "unleash your Inner Stickler" when it comes to grammatical atrocities. I have to admit, a little part of my heart dies every time I see any of the following (which is not an all-encompassing list, believe me):
The dog took it's bone to the grass.
You're sister is so sweet.
Him and I love going to the park.
The darker it gets, the more I love the star's.
But why do mistakes similar to these matter in the whole scheme of things? In an ever-changing world of texting/internet/twitter/facebook/etc. where fewer and fewer people know how to write or speak correctly, I must insist that grammar is an imperative aspect of taking hold of our postmodern (or post-postmodern) culture.

Anything goes! If it's right for you, then it's good; just don't hurt anyone else (or splice anyone's comma). I beg to differ. As Christians in this time, we are compelled to set ourselves apart as fellow sufferers for the gospel--and if the gospel permeates us, it envelopes everything in our lives and causes us to yearn to glorify God in all things. Thus, we must hold on to the knowledge that we know to be true, and realize that through it we might glorify the Lord as we "set the believers an example in SPEECH, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12).

Think about the way that language affects us on a daily basis. If not for communication--in multiple aspects--we would not be able to share in conversation, write out our thoughts, discuss valid aspects of life, and the list goes on. Each culture shares its own language complete with expressions through words along with gestures. English has come a long way in the manner that it has adapted due to necessity with culture or simply adding new words because of the mixture of varying cultures. I am not against the morphing of language due to the increase of usable words (without this English might have been a dead language by now anyway); I am simply advocating for the correct usage of the grammar that is currently in place and its importance in our global society. [However, I will add that some of our current "new" words are less-than par: "pwned" and "noob"? I'll pass.] I will also point out the importance of grammar in the spread of the gospel as the scriptures have been translated to other languages because scholars have exhausted countless hours studying and converting words and syntax into the original tongue of other cultures so that Christ may be known. The same can be said about missionaries who study language to carry the gospel in word and deed...and how beautiful it is! If we have a lack of consistent communication in our own language, how are we to learn to share the gospel effectively to other peoples (or, even others in our own language)?

Thus, I leave you with this thought: how captivated are you by the glory of Christ and how he reveals himself even in the minute details? Have we slipped so far from the core of the gospel that we forget that the Lord does not neglect details? Of course I am not negating His grace and how powerful that is in our lives, but we are called to be holy--and that is a lofty calling. Today, pay attention to the details that come together to create a beautiful picture in the realm of the gospel. Do not neglect to glorify the Lord by holding onto the beauty that is in structure, just like he has patterned the universe.

So, "soli Deo gloria en grammaria"?
(Don't be alarmed; I made that up)

(P.S. A special thanks to my brother Joel for giving me the initiative to author this post!)