Austerity - The 2010 Word of the Year

The Merriam-Webster has named its Word of the Year for 2010. The dictionary's editors announced Monday that the term would be "austerity".

In attempting to get the facts straight and the basic concept correct, I looked up the terms using several on-line dictionaries. The first definition was that kind that is often so enlightening and so very helpful. It said simply, “Austerity is possessing the quality of being 'Austere'”. Thanks! That was so useful. Obviously there needed to be just a little more research to shed some serious light on this year’s winning word.

One online source said this of the term: “Austerity is a term from economics that describes a policy where nations reduce living standards, curtail development projects, and generally shift the revenue stream out of the physical economy, in order to satisfy the demands of creditors. Typically, private banks, or institutions like the International Monetary Fund will demand an 'austerity policy' from a national government, as a condition for re-financing loans that are coming due. This might involve cutting food or fuel subsidies, under funding public infrastructure (transport, education, health care, water and power management), or rationing.”

That helped somewhat in understanding the word. But it was the enlightenment offered by a web-based thesaurus that really helped complete my insight on the term. It said primarily: "austerity - the trait of great self-denial (especially refraining from worldly pleasures) non-indulgence, asceticism self-denial, self-discipline and the trait of practicing self-discipline".

With the world economy being what it is, there should be no shock that ‘austerity’ would be selected as the word of the past year. Many have been forced to cut back, reduce their living standards, curtail certain pleasures and activities, and live new lives of self-discipline and denial – something many are not used to or at all appreciate. Of course this is all relative depending on the standards of the individuals. So concept in practice means much more to some than it does to others.

But it is now the Christmas season. This is the time of the year that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the little baby who would be the world’s only Savior. And when it comes to describing what the Son of God did for mankind, there is no single word, or any grouping of terms, that can even begin to relate the level of 'austerity’ that He willingly submitted Himself to in order to redeem a fallen, rebellious, and sinful race. Words just cannot suffice when trying to describe something of this magnitude and importance.

But if there had to be a selection of words chosen that would best attempt to describe what He did by denying His glory as God, and submitting Himself to an unthinkable level of sacrifice and self-discipline, they would come from the pen of the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter two. The theological term for the passage is the word “Kenosis”. It is a Greek word that speaks about a spiritual "self- emptying". But it is the level of that emptying by the Creator God that is simply beyond man’s ability to grasp now and, perhaps, even in heaven.

Verse 5 begins this most profound truths seen anywhere in Scripture. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

Again, no finite mind will even begin to understand the level of ‘austerity’ evidenced in the incarnation revealed at the manger, nor the indescribable level of self-sacrifice and discipline displayed decades later on the cross.

But with that said, even those who cannot begin to grasp the depths of what Philippians describes about what Christ gave up to do, all are more than capable of comprehending the awesome love of God and the full forgiveness described in perhaps the Bible’s most well-known verse - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16-17)

If you know this personally through faith the babe of Bethlehem, and the Christ of the cross, then appropriately honor Him this Christmas. Seriously thank Him if you have experienced His miraculous salvation through saving faith. And perhaps, at this most favored and blessed time of the year, consider taking the opportunity to share this greatest of all gifts with someone who does not!

Bill Breckenridge