Proclaimer Blog
Exaggerating to make a point
Or, as we call it, hyperbole. It's a key Biblical idea – used, for example, by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 6.6). But preachers should use it carefully because if people don't get it, it can give entirely the wrong impression. There's a fine line between hyperbole and overstating the case and we need to make sure our listeners get the difference. For example, this weekend past I read (in the paper and online) three statements -all of which are overstated:
- Christians against women bishops are misogynists
- Supersessionsm is a form of anti-Semitism
- Being against homosexuality is the same thing as homophobia
Such overstatement generates headlines, of course. But – and this is only an anecdotal observation – I think our society is less able to critically assess such statements (or perhaps, more accepting of them). The result is disastrous – with no one trusting anyone.
So, if a preacher is going to deliberately overstate his case in order to make a point – in other words to employ some kind of hyperbole, he needs to exercise great care. I'm not saying don't do it – but think to yourself – how will people hear it. Will they understand what I am saying? Will they understand the overstatement. Perhaps, in a more oratorical society, we wouldn't have to be so careful. But today, I think we do.