Today’s Scripture Reading (December
3, 2019): 2 Chronicles 18
Communication
is hard, and that is why I think it causes us so much trouble. Communication
has also changed. It wasn’t that long ago that most of the conversations that
went on between two people were made face to face. You might send a letter, but
even then it was more likely that if you needed to communicate with someone a
long way off, you sent a message through a person who would deliver your
message face to face. But that is not the way we communicate anymore. I would
even venture to say that the vast majority of communication today is done via
text. A quick email has replaced the letter, and an email can be sent and
received almost immediately. Our phones offer us the ability to send a text
message, which we frequently do throughout the day. Comedians have even made
fun of our ability to send a text to a person who is sitting only a few feet
away. It is easier to send the text than it is to walk over to the person and
have a face to face conversation.
But
there is also a problem with modern communication. Communication is more than
just words. So a text message gives some discussion, but it does not provide to
us all of the elements needed for effective communication. It misses the tone
of voice, and body position and gestures that give our words part of their
meaning. As I think back over my online communication over the past week, I
recognize the holes in my own conversations and realize that my reaction to
just the words might have been out of place. A phone call adds some more
communication elements to the discussion, but it too falls short. And then emotion,
when present, upsets the whole balance once again. When someone is upset, we
often miss the reason why. It might seem obvious to them, but it seldom is to
the one on the receiving end of words.
All we
have are the words involved in the conversation between Micaiah and Ahab. And
the dialogue is fairly straight forward. Micaiah was asked to back up the
opinions of the four hundred prophets. Ahab wanted to know if he would succeed
if he attacked Ramoth-Gilead. The prophets unanimously agreed that success
would follow the king. So as Micaiah comes in front of the king, he complies
with the request and backs up the four hundred. But the meeting was face to
face, and the words did not carry full impact of the message. Ahab probably
felt that Micaiah was being sarcastic, and so he asked for the truth. “Micaiah,
in the name of the God who you serve, will I be successful.” At this moment,
Ahab knew he didn’t need a yes-man. He required a truth-teller. Ahab may not
have liked the words, but he needed to hear the truth so that he could make an
informed decision. Deep down I think Ahab knew that he could not get that from
the four hundred, and so he needed Micaiah.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2
Chronicles 19
No comments:
Post a Comment