Tag Archives: Foreigner

Say You Will was one of Foreigner’s last songs to crack the Top 10 in the United States. Lou Gramm and Mick Jones co-wrote “Say You Will” for this classic British American rock band. Released as a single on December 5th, 1987, the lyrics refer to a relationship on the fritz. Similar to an on again, off again agreement, the band sings about wanting their girl to be mine tonight.

If a brother or sister is without [adequate] clothing and lacks [enough] food for each day, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace [with my blessing], [keep] warm and feed yourselves,” but he does not give them the necessities for the body, what good does that do? – James 2:15-16

Sometimes you have to leave the English language to find a word that gives a more accurate description of what you are trying to say. In the context of living out what you say, the best term I have found comes from Greek. Ethos refers to the moral element that determines a character’s action. In other words, you don’t have to say this or that. Rather, over time your actions demonstrate a genuine and perceived care and concern for others.

But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth], James 1:22.

Before finishing analogies, parables and sermons, Jesus often urged crowds to be doers. Anyone can listen, but it takes discipline, effort and focus to put Jesus’ words into action. In the parable of the two sons, one promises to do a task but doesn’t. The other son initially rejects this request but ends up doing it anyway. The point of today’s blog is don’t say you will, just do it!

by Jay Mankus