This year, Oxford Languages (the creator of the Oxford English Dictionary) titled ‘goblin mode‘ as the 2022 ‘Word of the Year.’ The phrase first appeared on Twitter in 2009 and means ‘to reject the idea of returning to normal life or to rebel against the unattainable aesthetic standards and unsustainable lifestyles exhibited on social media.’ So now you know…
I love new words and am always interested in how language changes over time. Nothing thrills me more than word play and beautiful words. Yesterday my three-year-old granddaughter told me the name ‘Tia’ was a sad name, because it was (in her mind) associated with crying. I was impressed that these homophones (Tia/ tear) evoked such a perceptive response in such a young child!
I frequently ask God for a Bible verse or word that is on His heart, and I feel that that word at present is ROBUST – meaning strong and healthy or vigorous.
In the Message version of the Bible, the word ‘robust’ is found in several places (‘a robust faith’ in Titus 1:13, ‘robust in love’ in Eph 4:16, ‘robust well-being’ in Isaiah 66:12). The word is often translated ‘sound’ in other versions, but I like ‘robust’ because for me, it does sound more vigorous and allive than ‘sound‘!
God does not want us to be feeble, fearful people. He wants us to ahve a sound mind and right thinking so that this affects our physical health (giving us a ‘robust body’ as Prov 14:30 in the Message version puts it.) The key to strong mental and physical well-being is to have a mind that is fixed on God. (Col 3:1-3) The more we focus on God and allow His very breath and blood to flow through us, the more we will be nourished (like a growing foetus) ‘so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.’ (Eph 4:16, The Message) As Rend Collective put it, ‘You are the power in our veins, our Lord, our God, our Conqueror.’ (‘More Than Conquerors’,)
