Verbal Judo
We have friends who live in Tennessee. We went out to visit them a while back to celebrate a birthday. Somehow I found out that a leather craftsman had a shop right down the road. My wife and our friend’s wife were looking through their wares and I struck up a conversation with the owner.
I found out that he was a former county sheriff and I asked him why he left the profession. He explained that because of budgetary considerations, they had to cut the budget for training. Then to justify the need for the training, he explained what verbal judo is and how important it is.
Verbal Judo is the use of language and conversation to control the situation. When to use a firm tone of voice. How to ask questions to get information and check the consistency of information. In short, to be a better public servant while protecting themselves without the use of force to the extent possible and to use these skills to prevent the escalation of the situation.
He went on to tell me that he had a good business crafting leather belts for weight lifting and was happy with his career change.
I recalled this story this morning when a friend asked me to cash a check for a good amount made out to cash before the bank closed. Not knowing what the bank would require (it’s been years since I walked into a bank), I walked into the bank. The teller was a nice guy and asked me if I banked with them so all they needed was my ID. (I wonder what they would have required if I didn’t bank with them).
He did tell me that the amount required was less than the limit of what was allowed through the drive through (so I could have used the drive through if I wanted). Then he asked me if this was the branch I normally use and he conveyed that he knew that it wasn’t closest to our house. Then he asked a question about the friend’s location and confirmed that he knew it came from only a few blocks away. My interpretation was that he was using that casual conversation in a verbal judo way to see if there was anything suspicious about the transaction. It was very subtle if intention (it could have just been friendly conversation).
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” - Philippians 1:9-11 ESV
Verbal judo, at least in this example, is just another way of describing discernment. As we read or hear sermons, we have a responsibility to listen and compare what we hear to the Word of God. As we read the Word of God, we need to use discernment and context to help us interpret the application to our lives.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” - Hebrews 4:12-13
But the most important thing is for us to spend some time in the Word on a regular basis. It is food for our soul and we need to maintain our strength. Without it, we’ll only resort to verbal Judo to try and explain our rationalization with life. And this is not how God intended for us to live.
