They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. – Jeremiah 32:33

Today's Scripture Reading (July 14, 2023): Jeremiah 32

Much research has gone into what things can help us teach or get a message across to both a willing and unwilling audience. And one of the things is that we learn best from the things on which we can focus. So, anything that enhances our focus will also enhance our learning ability. As a result of this finding, we have started to realize that lighting matters beyond just the aesthetics of the presentation. When we center stage lighting on something, we enhance the attention paid to the teaching. A presenter at the center of a staging area where everything is lit helps understanding better than a presenter standing on a dark stage and can't be seen. But what is even better is a well-lit presenter where the rest of the stage is kept in shadows. Instead of everything on the stage receiving equal treatment and attention, attention is focused a little more on precisely what the presenter is attempting to teach. Often, lighting is considered more of a reflection of ego than anything else, but the reality is that adequate and focused lighting has a lasting effect on what we are about to learn.

But could you imagine what it would be like if you went to a lecture and the presenter stood at the back of the auditorium, or maybe in the sound booth, instead of at the front? You would still be able to focus on the voice, but it might be even harder to learn from the presentation. My wife and I recently watched a news presentation where many people stood on the stage, and it was often hard to tell which person was speaking. I remember my wife voicing the question, "Who is speaking." I pointed the person out, but because it was hard to identify the speaker, it was also hard to understand the message. This is sometimes true when I am reading as well. If I am unsure which character is speaking, it is also hard to derive meaning from the conversation.

God tells Jeremiah that he has taught Israel, but they have turned their backs to him rather than their faces. It is not their literal stance about which God is speaking. But instead, God is telling us something about learning and focus. Turning their backs to God has taken their attention away from what God is attempting to teach his people. And because they are not paying attention, they are also not learning. And because they are not learning, they are not responding to God's discipline. And it all begins with where they are willing to put their attention.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 33