The Importance of Context

Well I have been away from the computer for the weekend. I have enjoyed reading your comments and look forward hearing from you often. I was ministering to the saints in Arcadia LA this weekend. We had a great time of ministry and fellowship.

I ministered the word Friday and Saturday night. On Friday I started with a statement about how the context where something is spoken effects the meaning of what is said. You can say the same words in different settings and they can have totally different meanings. I used an example I had used many times to help understand this in a practical way. I will repeat it here for this discussion.

Suppose I am in a city that I have not been in before and as I am walking I don't understand the way of the traffic as I cross a busy intersection. Long story short I J-walk and a policeman looks at me sternly and says, 'Come here!' Well everyone knows what that means. So after talking to the policeman and receiving my lecture on the dangers of J-walking I continue on my way.

As I walk away from the incident with the police I pass a dark alley and from the shadows I hear a voice that eerily says " Come here". When I hear these words, the same ones the policeman used, I don't know exactly what to do. One thing I do know is that going into the shadows to see what 'come hear' means is not an option I am considering. So I run.

I finally return to the motel where Ranae and I are staying and as I enter into the room out of breath, Ranae ask what is wrong. I tell her about my encounter with the strange voice. We both agree how weird that was and how good it was that I ran away. Soon after the end of this conversation she raises her one eyebrow and motions to me and says , 'Come here!'. Now we know what that means!!! She wants a kiss from me.

Now here we see the exact same words are used but in different settings or contexts and those settings effected the meaning of the words. That is the way it is as we communicate with people and as God communicates with us. If we don't consider the context, we might hear accurately but miss the true meaning of the message. Here is another contributor to miscommunication that causes problems.

There was another part of this teaching which I will write about next time. God bless all who visit here and I hope as we consider these points we will hear and discern more accurately. This will profit us in our personal relationships and our relationship with God. Bless you ! Mitch

Miscommunication one of the greatest problems on earth

When you read this title you may think what can this be about. Mitch has announced a new dog and now he is going to take on the problems of the world?!! I have been thinking a lot about how we can talk to one another and never really communicate.

Sometimes we hear the words and understand the words but misinterpret the meaning or intent of the speaker. My thinking is that the context determines the meaning of things. If we don't take into account the context of the speaker it could be very easy to miss the real intention of the one trying to communicate with us. Maybe you are understanding these words I am writing but you are not tracking with me right now. Let me give you an example to clarify.

One time Ranae (my wife) and I were watching Survivor on television. There was a women on the game whose occupation was an office designer kinda like an architect for office. Any way she was used to telling people working for her what to do. The group she was with in this remote island needed to have a shelter built before night fall so they wouldn't spend the night in the cold. The problem was no one wanted to be the leader because if you were the leader sometimes you would offend people and they would vote you out of the game. When they found out what she did for a living they instantly asked for her help in getting the shelter "designed" and built. She was kinda flattered and began to kick into a mode I am sure was very normal for her. She started to take charge and began to tell different people what to do. Put these corner post over there. Make a hole over here. Tighten up these ropes, etc.

It was interesting to see the dynamics in the group as she began to do what they had asked here to do, take charge. The project was completed quite rapidly and very successfully but she was the first one voted of f of the show because everyone said she was bossy. They said, who does she think she is telling us what to do. But they had asked her to assume a role no one else wanted to accept and frankly were unqualified for, but yet they hated her for being bossy.

I believe the answer here is the context problem that caused miscommunication. She was used to giving orders. She assumed the position thy asked her to fill. In fulfilling her role she assumed they would be subordinated to the authority they had given her. They never lowered themselves to receive her instruction. Or they never submitted to the authority she had be ask to operate in. So when they heard her orders they did what she asked but they never saw her as the boss. The proper context needed to be her as the leader for that moment and the others as subordinates. It did not mean she was better than them what it meant was that she took her position and they all completed the task. I might add when this particular task was completed she would return to her role as a peer with the rest of the group.

There was miscommunication because they others did not understand what was going on. Maybe this example did not help you to understand but if you will begin to consider the context of the one speaking to you it may help you to understand not only the words but the meaning as well.

I am not saying we should begin to analyze every situation so that every conversation becomes wooden and uncomfortable but if we will begin to examine the context surrounding our coversations and relationships it will begin to bring light to possible miscommunication.

I would love to hear some comments of personal examples of this kind of miscommunication.