Debunked: Thinking through the language of Faith

Personification. Simile. Metaphor. Oxymoron. American English, like many other languages, uses a wide variety of figures of speech to express our thoughts. Some produce beautiful, poetic prose. Others form tangible examples that illustrate a point. The way we use our words can create meaning beyond the simplicity of the words. But have you ever had to explain a figure of speech to a curious seven-year-old? Lately, it seems as if my two elementary age boys can find every metaphor and idiom. One asks what it means, the other turns it into a funny image or thought that makes everyone chuckle. I have had more run-ins with our crazy language in…