Why do we so often choose words to communicate? At times do you think that other forms of communication may be much more effective? And do you think that we fill our lives with unnecessary and trivial words?
Sometimes words are the least effective mode of communication. If you really want to show someone that you care, what would be better: 1) Giving them a hug -or- 2) Saying “I really care about you.” I would think giving a hug would be more effective. Or what about when someone dies–you’re offering consolation to those affected the most, which is better: 1) Giving them a hug -or- 2) Saying “They had a great life, and I know God’s will is being done.” Both options may be technically correct, but the touch is more effective.
How about telling stories. Today, Joe White talked about a man who completed the Iron Man race. Except this man carried his 38-year-old son (who has cerebral palsy) along with him. Everyone in the audience was fine until we watched the video–then most of the audience was in tears.
Take an episode of Lost. It seems like every week there is a reflective time with footage and some music. No words. But the story is being told.
Or the movie Crash…toward the end of the film, you saw compelling camera angles and simple, reflective music. The story was told. But words weren’t there.
We speak so much and say so little. When something needs to be “said” we always default to words. And this isn’t always a bad thing either…but words have so much power to hurt–especially when you are using too many.
I also wonder about teaching. Why do we expect people to learn so much only using words. There are so many powerful additive mediums that could improve people’s ability to learn. I think that’s why some churches are so big–they use media powerfully and compelling to acentuate what the words are saying.
How do you use words?
Monthly Archives: October 2005
Ultimate Origins
The last few days I have been considering the ultimate origins of the world–the absolute beginning. Of course, if I were a naturalist, I would speak of the “big bang,” but then I would wonder, “Where did the initial particle come from?” I mean, how did everything explode from a single particle and mysteriously create everything we see?
But, I’m not a naturalist, and I think that explanation is specious, at best. I do believe that the world was created by God a long time ago. So that takes care of the origin of the world and the universe. But then I wonder, what about the origin of God. Think about that for a second…think how God came into existence… It’s mind boggling, at best.
But we know that God has always existed and He has neither a beginning nor and end. He simply is. I believe He said it best, “I am.” That concept still confounds my mind. How can something not have an origin?
When I was a child, I always imagined that God came from His father, ad infinitum. But of course, that was childish thinking and is not correct. So it makes me think, once again, how has God always existed?
I think the problem with this line of thinking is that I am trying to define everything in terms of earthly logic. Everything on earth has an origin. Thus everything has to have an origin. We all exist within time…thus, everything must have a definite age and period of existence.
However, God exists outside of time. And if you exist outside of time, time has no bearing on who you are. Think of it this way: if you are not constrained by time, you don’t have a now or a then. You simply are. (Think of how God defines Himself: “I am”.)
So the question of God’s origin is not a reasonable question in the first place because God does not live within the confounds of time. And as such, wondering about his beginning is not necessary because beginning and end are not a part of His character.
Rib Tickler
So David and I went to Rib Tickler to pick up some BBQ to eat while we watched the Astros (yes, I know it’s amazing that I decided to watch the “Disastros” tonight). At any rate, we called our order of brisket and sausage in while we were driving to the restaurant.
At the restaurant, the attendant asked us if we wanted bread, pickles and onions. We opted for the bread and pickles, paid, and were back out the door. This was all in hopes of making it back to my place before the first pitch.
We arrived at my apartment, turned on the game (which hadn’t started yet), pulled out the meats and looked at them joyously. Ooh…it looked and smelled so very fine. Except for one minor thing–they didn’t give us any barbeque sauce!
“What! No barbeque sauce!” I exclaimed as I threw my towel across the kitchen. “How can you serve Barbeque without Barbeque sauce? How can they ask if we need pickles and they don’t give us the sauce?!?!?!”
Barbeque without barbeque-sauce is just meat. And meat is good; but barbeque is better. It’s like repainting the sistine chapel or walking around naked. It’s just not supposed to happen!
Two:Twenty Four
Today we launched the new Young Married Adult website at Champion Forest: Check it out here…
It took a little longer than planned, but I am generally pleased with the results. In my opinion, it’s much harder to make a site when the information is sparse–that is desgining a site with lots of information is easier, because you don’t have to do as much graphically to fill up the site.
At any rate, I think it’s a nice site and a huge improvement over what they had.
To Europe
It’s official…I’m going to Europe! Paris and Rome, here I come! Woohoo….
Done Yet?
As a kid, I remember eagerly waiting for cakes to finish baking. I would watch my mom prepare the batter and place it in the oven. And that started the hard part–waiting for the cake. Sooner or later I would hear an alarm go off, and I knew that the cake was done.
Inevitably, though, my mom would pull out a toothpick and test the cake. If the toothpick was gooey, we had to wait some more.
Sometimes it seems like things are so close to being “done” but when you test it, you need to wait just a little more. The cake looked done from the service, but upon a more thorough inspection, you realized there was more to do before it was done.
Of course, the last few minutes of baking the cake were only a small part of the preparation process, but oftentimes they seemed the longest. Likewise in life, someimtes those last few minutes of waiting are the most intense and difficult, and they cause us to overlook all of the work that has gone into the process thus far.
A Strange Dichotomy
I have long wondered why people (myself included, of course) can watch a bad two-hour movie and not leave early. Or how people can sit a metal chair, watching a game for three hours. And if the game goes to overtime, no big deal…more game for the money, right?
But what happens in church? What happens when the preacher eclipses his 30-minute mark? What happens if he hits 45 minutes? Can you imagine your reaction if you sat through a service like that. And sitting in the foyer today, I saw the mass exodus as soon as the speaker was done. They probably thought, “I don’t want to sit through the invitation. It’s so boring.”
What about a six-hour baseball game? Do you think people will complain about that? I doubt it. I would wager everyone says, “What a great game!” or “I was so glad I got to see it in person!”
So why do we like sports so much more than religion. Most people would likely say that religion is more important, but nothing in their life would illustrate that fact. It’s merely a sad commentary that we value important things so little.
Privacy?
This is spooky: Privacy ad by the ACLU. [Via]
I normally don’t care for the ACLU, but this is a clever ad that shows the worst case scenario of where the country could go.
Cool Weather
Last night as I was walking from my apartment to my car, I smelled the sweet aroma of burning wood–the odor the emanates from fireplaces.
And I thought, “Only in Houston do people light their fireplaces when the temperature drops below 70.”
Ben Folds
Ben Folds is coming to Houston on November 18th!
Get your tickets soon and join us at this great concert! Ticketmaster Page. Oh yea, the tickets go on sale tomorrow morning!