But…might just be the most important recurring three-letter word in the Bible. A distant second to the word “God”, of course. Some might say that “sin” is the second most important three-letter word in the Bible. I beg to differ and I’ll show why in a later segment. The word but in a sentence is known in English grammar as a coordinating conjunction, a word connecting two independent clauses. Two other high-profile celebrity conjunctions are “and” and “or”. (See http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/conjunctions.htm#but ) But is also a qualifier that suggests a contrast that is unexpected in light of the first clause. For all of us who majored in something other than English because we actually wanted a job after college, what that means in plain English is that but changes the meaning and impact of whatever comes before it. And the change can be positive or negative, good news or bad news. And buts are attention-getters (why are you smirking?) because when you see/hear a but (stop snickering), especially if it is pronounced by extending the vowel sound …