![]() ![]() I think the answers so far miss a critical bit of context. You see it peaks around the time of the third great awakening. I usually expect to hear the phrase used hyperbolically, or tinged with irony (see: the incidental insinuation that the POTUS is a god ordained prophet might be funny to several classes of people religious and not).įor more on its roots, check out this ngram chart. Maybe if your sales team was performing poorly, or the managers were acting horrible, you might call a "come to Jesus" meeting to sort the offending party, with the implication that they reform or "resign". It's not uncommon to hear it outside its native religious context. It's about conversion to an abramhamic religion a huge, life-altering deal. If you use it, consider your audience mind that the phrase is rooted in evangelical christianity (and often charismatic). I don't think the phrase is exceptionally popular, but I suspect it's well known. In your example, the CIA is the unrepentant sinner, and the author wants Obama to take the role of Prophet/Preacher, leading the CIA out of their sin. A key part of the "come to Jesus moment" is God's divine power working to convince the sinner to repent, even if revivalists are mostly in the free-will camp. In the case of revivals and altar calls, the exhortation is strong on pathos. Nathan confronting King David about Bathsheba.Ī "come to Jesus moment" is about God, or a human rep, exhorting an ardent sinner to repentance. (*The CIA is referred to as " Langley" because their headquarters is in Langley, Virginia.) You may see it within quotation marks in anything formal. It's an informal expression, so you'll hear it in informal dialog or see it in informal writing. With religion being such a charged topic here, I wouldn't expect to hear it coming from our news networks (written or broadcast) unless they were quoting someone. It's one of those phrases where, when you hear it or read it, if you don't already know what it means, you may still have a fairly good sense of what it means without asking. and used occasionally in private communications. A come-to-Jesus moment should bring them back to the fold or change their behavior to be more compliant with what is expected of them.Īs to whether its a common or popular phrase, I would say it's well known in the U.S. In your example about the CIA* running amok, it means they have strayed from their defined behavior. ![]() Once you have recognized your error you then make a commitment to return to core principles. A typical expression in common with the literal and figurative expression would be that you have strayed). (You accept the fact that you have erred. When you face the figurative come-to-Jesus moment in your life (at work for example), you face the error in your ways. In both instances, a come-to-Jesus moment may include a public display where one shows that they have accepted their need to change. It comes from making a commitment or conversion to Christianity. Is “come-to-Jesus” (moment / meeting / stage) a popular phrase? Can I say “I feel like come-to-Jesus meeting to present the annual sales plan to management for their review?”Ĭome-to-Jesus means, in a general sense, to come to or return to core principles. But what does “Langley needs a come-to-Jesus moment” exactly mean? Does it mean simply a ‘trial’ or ‘investigation’? I understand Langley is the CIA headquarters.
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