Language of faith

Focus not on a particular religious tradition, rather on spirituality. So, the spirituality that gives meaning and purpose to the physician champion may require an investment of time and prayer to become responsive to the needs of this ministry. That spirituality must allow dialogue with people from a wide variety of faith traditions and with those not having any faith tradition. This capacity is partly embedded in an accepting attitude toward people of other faith traditions, but it also requires a break from some of the language of faith traditions. In fact, our language can be one of the greatest barriers to interfaith dialogue. For example, a Christian who speaks of “being under the blood of Jesus,” will likely close the door to further spiritual conversation with a Hindu. Van Kaam used a new vernacular that he called a “meta-language” to mediate between the jargons of different faith traditions.

What language works well for you? What language seems to impede spiritual conversations?