Communicating God's Way
Over the centuries the study of rhetoric, the ability to effectively communicate, was considered an essential requirement for an educated citizen. In our fast paced and technically driven society it appears that we are losing the capacity to engage in meaningful dialogue with others especially people we may disagree with. By assuming that our view constitutes truth it becomes far to easy to not only disregard another persons opinion but to shame them by name calling. Dismissing someone out of hand is self-righteous arrogance and it denigrates the other person negating their basic humanity. What we can observe in the realm of public discourse we can unfortunately see in our family and interpersonal relations. In "Encounters With Jesus" Timothy Keller relates that marriage therapist Tara Parker-Pope could always tell a relationship was in serious trouble when one or both partners rolled his or her eyes at the other person signifying a silent dismissal of the other person as not worth listening to.
What should our attitude be when we have to deal with the inevitable conflicts that will arise with our families, our neighbors, our co-workers and even with those of other religions or political parties? As Christ's ambassadors to a fallen world I would suggest that we need to remember that we and those we disagree with were all made in Imago Dei, the image of God. God's image was meant to endow us as created beings with dignity, a sense of purpose, worth , and the understanding that life itself was sacred. As God's image bearers we as Christians have the responsibility to care for each other, and the capacity to love God and reflect God's moral nature on this earth. When we engage in discourse with other people with whom we strongly disagree, do we see them as people made in Imago Dei that Christ died on the cross for? Are we willing to hear another person's point of view? Are we willing to accept the fact that our view might be wrong? Our words and actions say a lot about how we view the worth of others. So let's communicate God's way and let our words and actions reflect the image of God in and through our lives.