The relationship between the language we use to describe what we see, and the way in which we see things is an ages old topic of study. Think about the sentence you just read. When I used the word ‘see‘ you hopefully understand I mean more that just ‘visually observe‘. Sight is a very important sense for humans, so much so that when someone says “I see your point now” we understand that they understand. However we do not intend to imply that those who have visual impairments are unable to understand. Or that those who are unable to tell you what colour the horse they are imagining is, do not know what a horse is.
Consider then the importance of liturgy. If the use of words to describe everyday things is prone to misunderstanding, how much more so when we are thinking about divinity? Imagine the words used are like a scaffolding to help people hold together while we build each other up, constructing a house of prayer, what happens if there is a wrongness in our use of language? Simple mistakes might be quick to observe and remedy. Long term systematic wrongness might be more difficult to identify, and like the famous leaning tower, still hold together but be wonky. The building still holds together, but would you want to move there?
This video is a discussion that takes time to step back and think about ways in which language has been used. Recorded during lockdown it is an example of how stepping back to reflect helps us transform our experiences.