The Art to Communication

   With a serious and kind look on her face, she kindly smiled. Politely informing me that God had gifted me more as a storyteller and that I should learn to rest in that gifting, instead of what I was trying to do. That was the wake-up call, the moment I needed to hear from the wisdom editor of the Morningstar Journal. 

  I was attempting to get an article into the magazine, but my attempts were apparently not going to make it. It made me take a few steps back and take a serious look at the way I communicate. Not only that day but also how I was to move forward in the future.

Communication

  Over the years I have watched, listened, and tried to pay attention to how people communicate across various platforms. I’ve listened to authors, singers, and teachers. I remember one comment from a well-known Canadian Christian singer who was a friend of the late Rich Mullins,  Carolyn Arends.

  Carolyn over the years has become a book writer and professor at a Christian college. As a result, she has learned to communicate across various platforms. What she said was, “When you write a story for a book, it's really long. But then you learn to condense it for an article or blog post while keeping its intent. But when you turn it into a song, you must learn to condense to just a few lines while trying to deliver the message as well as the emotion.” I have learned over the years that to do this (I’ve never done a song yet) what is required is creativity.

  If you think about it, creativity was the first real requirement we needed in the garden. When God brought all the animals before Adam for him to name them, creativity was needed.

  When the first person to be named in scripture to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Bezalel needed the Holy Spirit to be creative so that he could build the Ark of the Covenant.

  True creativity requires a connection with the giver of creativity, and if you seek to communicate through speaking, writing, singing or any other form of communication, and you want to do well. Then getting close to the Father and learning to be creative is a requirement.

  I have known over the years, people with a burning desire to communicate who were very legalist in nature. Who had reduced God down to a manageable form of rules and regulations. Most of them could not communicate in any meaningful way. 

  Most of it was dry, lifeless knowledge, sometimes it was masked with traces of fear from their own heart. All in all, there was nothing to help the soul, it was not refreshing and in fact, in one particular case, it was unreadable.

  Such forms of communication often result in hidden anger and finger-shaking rising to the surface, these people will never fulfill the Holy desire within themselves. This of course leads to frustration as they only increase the volume and desperation, driving people even further away. (1 Corinthians 13)

Back to the Foundation

  If you have been a Christian for any real length of time, then you have most likely heard that context matters when researching scripture. Unfortunately, because we do not understand our own shattered and broken history, especially the early years. We fail to contemplate the culture in which the Bible was written. Because of this one fact, we automatically on a subconscious level translate everything through the lens of modern Christianity.

  The Bible was written in what we call a “third-world,” or primitive context. Most people only knew the basics of reading and writing, this was the domain of scholars, scribes, and kings. The people got their news verbally, by talking and telling stories over food and drink, in homes and markets. Being social was a requirement and respect was often a life-and-death thing.

  Not showing hospitality, was often offensive, and disrespectful. Especially if you did not allow them to tell their story or if they would not listen to yours. In all these things, a priest must be able to understand the basic elements of a story. For stories were the basic foundation for teaching people of all ages.

  This simple basic truth I feel has been lost on modern preachers. They have become so enamored with facts, logic, and information that they have become walking, unfeeling organic computers, almost like vending machines. Put the coins in and wait and see what they spit out. As long as you keep feeding the machine you can watch the show. No life, no substance, just the form of a system. 

  People need to learn to tell stories again. Be creative and in some fashion perhaps you need to give yourself permission to even be a bit silly. I have deliberately told stories of stupid things I have done to make a point. Yes, people laugh, but they will remember the point better that way.

  All you do if you compact your teaching with a lot of facts is make cement, and nobody can eat that. 

  Take a look at the fruit of many of Jesus's parables. Simple stories so profound that even after 2000 years people are still pulling nuggets of wisdom out of them. No matter how deep they dig into these parables, somebody always comes along after them, drops back down into the mine shaft, and comes up with more gold. Does your teaching do that? I know mine has a ways to go to even get close.

   Most people don’t really need another sermon, what they need is life and they're not finding it within the four walls of modern congregations. “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68

  Can this be said of your communication?

If not then maybe, like me you need a wake call.