Woke

Vain Jangling
Woke.

In today’s society, there is so much that could be said about one simple word: Woke. “Are you woke?” “They aren’t woke enough.” “That business is too woke.” “Stay woke.” What is your wokeness?

By standard definition, woke means: awake, as in, “I woke up.”

Of course, who really goes by standard definitions today? We like to redefine terms at will—usually to our own liking, to fit our own narrative—which ultimately makes discussion regarding a topic or topics somewhat difficult or virtually impossible. Why? Because we can be using the same word or words, having totally different meanings, thus speaking past or around, over or under one another, with nothing being understood or settled, since our arguments never really meet on the same plain, with single, understood, agreed upon terminology. (Well, that was an unexpected mouth full.)

In the Christian sense: Woke could express the idea that one has been awakened to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (i.e. new life, salvation) One having ears that hear, eyes that see, verses one still spiritually dead. However, the term woke is usually not used.

In the Social sense: Woke may refer to an awareness of social and racial justice—or injustice. It has been noted that the term is slang from a dialect called AAVE (African American Vernacular English), with “Stay woke” being a statement for those (in the black community) who are self-aware of injustice or racial tension, along with a call to action (namely with BLM, Black Lives Matter).

The vain jangling of the term “woke” comes in because of the varying world views and narratives used in today’s world. What is usually meant by “woke” is, “Are you woke (in agreement) to my view?” Woke to the gospel, woke to systematic racism, woke to the liberal or conservative platform, and the list could go on. Whether one is considered awakened to the modern Woke narrative or awakened from it. Then comes the name calling, backbiting, shaming, slandering, silencing, rioting, etc. often based on vain janglings, not truth.