In his play, The Comedy Of Error, Shakespeare writes, "be not thy tongue thine own shame's orator." The real power to build up or destroy lies caged just behind our teeth. Jesus warns: "by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matt.12:37). One of the biggest obstacles to Christian unity today is the destructive power of the tongue.
The Book of James repeatedly warns about the right and wrong use of the tongue. "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless" (James 1:26).). Later, he adds, "out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing" (James 3:10). Like a fire out of control, the tongue can be so destructive. Untruths or half-truths spoken out of context divide friendships and destroy communication.
Like an uncontrollable monster, the tongue needs to be caged. David pleads: "keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies" (Ps.34:13). Later, he prays: "set a guard over my mouth, O Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips" (Ps.141:3). If you want your life to bless others, make David's prayer yours: "may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, My rock and my redeemer" (Ps.19:14).
--B. Pent
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Thursday, February 26, 2009
THE POWER OF TOUCH
Our skin is the most powerful of all the sense organs. A person may be blind and deaf or completely lack the sense of smell or taste, but it is impossible to survive without the function of the skin. More than a half million sensory fibers flow from the skin through the spinal cord to the brain. This giant communication system brings the signals and messages of the external environment to the attention of our internal selves. When you touch some one, the skin surface informs you not only about heat, cold and pain, but also literally about how they feel, and how you feel about them.
The hunger for touch and recognition is universal. It is the swiftest and most direct form of communication. Infants will not grow normally without the assuring touch of others. At birth the mother's breast is the physical and emotional supply line for a child's well being. Medical science terms it "bonding." As the child grows older, this primal hunger for actual physical touch is changed to recognition hunger. A smile, nod. frown, word or other gesture eventually replaces some of the touch strokes necessary in human development. Like touch, these forms of recognition, whether negative or positive, stimulate the brain of the person receiving them and serve to verify the fact he is alive and accepted as a person.
While studying the gospel of Mark, I was struck by the number of times Jesus touched people: the blind, the lame, the leper, the deaf and dumb, the demon possessed and little children. In this series of vivid pictures Mark portrays Jesus ministering to people as a true Servant: "the son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45), thus, modeling the characteristic qualities of authentic Christianity. If our faith cost nothing perhaps it is worth nothing! "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17).
When Jesus met His disciples by the shore of Galilee after His resurrection, the true motive for service became the main topic. Three times Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" Striping away all superficiality Jesus seemed to infer: "tell me what you love and I will tell you what you are!" The proof of love must go deeper than mere human affection. Service motivated by agape love needs no law to impel him to action. The man who loves righteousness will do right; law or no law. St. Bernard of Clairvaux put it this way: "the true measure of loving God is to love Him without measure."
Each time Jesus asked Peter "Do you love Me?" He concluded with a command:" feed my lambs; feet my sheep." The nature of love is to give. "God so loved the world that He gave." When the Spirit of God inflames love He inspires courage. That is why Peter was able to serve faithfully and die courageously.
The ultimate proof of agape is whether or not we are reaching out to others. The "great commission" is the mandate of agape. If we claim to be His, then agape love must flow from our lives as we reach out to the sick and lonely, the poor and the dying, the orphans and widows in distress, the heaven-bound and the hell-bound. We simply can't remain silent while claiming to love Him. Jesus was busy touching other lives. Involvement is not a choice. It is a command! "Do not merely listen to the word, do what it says" (James 1:22)
The power of touch is at our disposal. For Jesus' sake, let's just do it!
The hunger for touch and recognition is universal. It is the swiftest and most direct form of communication. Infants will not grow normally without the assuring touch of others. At birth the mother's breast is the physical and emotional supply line for a child's well being. Medical science terms it "bonding." As the child grows older, this primal hunger for actual physical touch is changed to recognition hunger. A smile, nod. frown, word or other gesture eventually replaces some of the touch strokes necessary in human development. Like touch, these forms of recognition, whether negative or positive, stimulate the brain of the person receiving them and serve to verify the fact he is alive and accepted as a person.
While studying the gospel of Mark, I was struck by the number of times Jesus touched people: the blind, the lame, the leper, the deaf and dumb, the demon possessed and little children. In this series of vivid pictures Mark portrays Jesus ministering to people as a true Servant: "the son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45), thus, modeling the characteristic qualities of authentic Christianity. If our faith cost nothing perhaps it is worth nothing! "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17).
When Jesus met His disciples by the shore of Galilee after His resurrection, the true motive for service became the main topic. Three times Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" Striping away all superficiality Jesus seemed to infer: "tell me what you love and I will tell you what you are!" The proof of love must go deeper than mere human affection. Service motivated by agape love needs no law to impel him to action. The man who loves righteousness will do right; law or no law. St. Bernard of Clairvaux put it this way: "the true measure of loving God is to love Him without measure."
Each time Jesus asked Peter "Do you love Me?" He concluded with a command:" feed my lambs; feet my sheep." The nature of love is to give. "God so loved the world that He gave." When the Spirit of God inflames love He inspires courage. That is why Peter was able to serve faithfully and die courageously.
The ultimate proof of agape is whether or not we are reaching out to others. The "great commission" is the mandate of agape. If we claim to be His, then agape love must flow from our lives as we reach out to the sick and lonely, the poor and the dying, the orphans and widows in distress, the heaven-bound and the hell-bound. We simply can't remain silent while claiming to love Him. Jesus was busy touching other lives. Involvement is not a choice. It is a command! "Do not merely listen to the word, do what it says" (James 1:22)
The power of touch is at our disposal. For Jesus' sake, let's just do it!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
LOVING COMMUNICATION THROUGH THE LENS OF I COR.13
If I speak with the tongues of
Impeccable elocution and rhetorical quintessence,
But fail to lovingly communicate,
I am a tool of confusion and a threat to dialogue.
If I master the English language
Reflecting the eloquence of Cicero,
Or capture a breath of Shakespearian splendor,
And fail to lovingly communicate,
I haven't gained a thing.
Real communication begins with one's self,
Through patience: learning the art of listening.
Through kindness: not rudely interrupting.
Never forcing your own opinions,
As if you had a corner on all truth,
Or repelling the opinions of others.
Really, communication shows up
In accepting people as they are.
In listening without making one feel stupid,
And being able to share the feelings of others.
Communication expresses concern,
When someone else is talking.
Is glad when a constructive idea is presented,
And works toward a correct syllogism,
Through loving dialogue.
Communication involves:
Pooling all suggested ideas.
Recognizing individual effort in the process,
Being sensitive to the Spirit's direction,
And waiting for God's timing in concluding the matter.
Loving communication never fails.
But as for poor attitudes,
They build barriers.
As for catchy phrases and vague generalities,
They reveal hidden prejudices.
As for meaningless cliches, they impede progress.
For man's communicative skills change,
As the mask of selfishness is removed,
By the Son-Light of God's immeasurable love.
My words, thoughts and actions,
Since childhood days,
Are only memory-scars,
That I'm leaving behind.
For though I tend to see issues
Through the mirrored reflection of past failures,
God's metamorphic grace,
Helps me to piece the communication puzzle in a new Light.
And then I begin to understand it better,
Just as God so perfectly understands me.
So then:
Truthful words can set the stage for dialogue.
Correct phrasing can ease the mind.
But only loving communication changes the heart.
---B. Pent
Impeccable elocution and rhetorical quintessence,
But fail to lovingly communicate,
I am a tool of confusion and a threat to dialogue.
If I master the English language
Reflecting the eloquence of Cicero,
Or capture a breath of Shakespearian splendor,
And fail to lovingly communicate,
I haven't gained a thing.
Real communication begins with one's self,
Through patience: learning the art of listening.
Through kindness: not rudely interrupting.
Never forcing your own opinions,
As if you had a corner on all truth,
Or repelling the opinions of others.
Really, communication shows up
In accepting people as they are.
In listening without making one feel stupid,
And being able to share the feelings of others.
Communication expresses concern,
When someone else is talking.
Is glad when a constructive idea is presented,
And works toward a correct syllogism,
Through loving dialogue.
Communication involves:
Pooling all suggested ideas.
Recognizing individual effort in the process,
Being sensitive to the Spirit's direction,
And waiting for God's timing in concluding the matter.
Loving communication never fails.
But as for poor attitudes,
They build barriers.
As for catchy phrases and vague generalities,
They reveal hidden prejudices.
As for meaningless cliches, they impede progress.
For man's communicative skills change,
As the mask of selfishness is removed,
By the Son-Light of God's immeasurable love.
My words, thoughts and actions,
Since childhood days,
Are only memory-scars,
That I'm leaving behind.
For though I tend to see issues
Through the mirrored reflection of past failures,
God's metamorphic grace,
Helps me to piece the communication puzzle in a new Light.
And then I begin to understand it better,
Just as God so perfectly understands me.
So then:
Truthful words can set the stage for dialogue.
Correct phrasing can ease the mind.
But only loving communication changes the heart.
---B. Pent
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