Once every three months or less, son #3 delivers the Sunday Message behind the pulpit, as requested by our pastor. A lawyer/professor, he is wont to first present the context of the core message.
On that point, we are on the same page. Context is non-negotiable in creative writing.
Context provides the background, setting, and relationship dynamics that remove ambiguity from words with multiple meanings.
But on one particular Sunday, son #3 was trying to look for a euphemism for circumcision, as it is a raw word in the Philippines that could unsettle the listeners.
After repeatedly voicing his unease about the word, I was surprised to read “Circumcised Heart” flashed in large fonts on all screens inside the church as the title of his message.
"Circumcised heart" needs no euphemism. It is by itself a profound metaphor for spiritual transformation enabled by grace. It represents a heart that is cleansed, obedient, and fully devoted to God.
While physical circumcision was the outward, visible sign of the covenant among God’s chosen people in ancient times (context: law), the Bible (both in the Old and New Testaments) consistently emphasizes that God ultimately desires an internal reality—a heart set free from stubbornness and sin.
Romans 2:29 (NLT) reads, “No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise fom God, not from people.”
Self reflection: Do I have a circumcised heart?
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