Spring 1999 - Quarterly Review

present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to berevealed to us" (Rom. 8:18). "Be all that you can be" supplants "Growup in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" (Eph. 4:15)."We welcome you this morning to the fastest-growing church inMetro County" preempts "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us goto the house of the LORD!' "(PS. 122:1).Constructive Principles of RhetoricThis brings us to a final question: What should we do in order "tospeak freely whatever is in our hearts?" How do we move beyondmouthing words or figures of speech that we have heard or havepicked up from various cultural expressions and speak plainly andauthentically with one another in Christian conference?Here I suggest that we remember a key term in rhetoric that is alsoan expression with utmost significance for the proclamation of God'sGood News: kairos. In rhetoric kairos means the moment of fit when aspeaker says just the right word at the right time. In discerning thekairos a speaker or writer is seeking the most appropriate word that isproportional to the situation she or he is addressing. Advertising oftenplays off this sense of proportion in order to get our attention or makeus laugh. When we hear a radio jingle for "the event of the century"and then get the details on a Toyota sale, we smile, groan, or turn itoff. The principle of proportionality requires us to search carefullyinto the circumstances before we use words like shock, dismay, sick,conspiracy, or war. The less we care for our words, the more we aresubject to hype and language inflation that eventually dissipates ourlisteners'trust.The companion principle to proportionality in discerning kairos isjustice. When we think of justice we are thinking again of fit, of aperson receiving a "proper measure" adequate to what the situationmerits. 14The biblical prophets described justice as everyone beingable to sit in peace under his own fig tree, or every orphan, widow, orrefugee having enough on which to live (which becomes a realproblem in a capitalist economy based on an inherent ethic of "get allyou can get"). Similarly, just words are fair, adequate, and fitting tothe circumstances and to the person being addressed. The principle ofjustice requires us to search carefully before we use words like traitor,heretic, wacko, or extremist.14 QUARTERLY REVIEW / SPRING 1999