Reflection
Jesus who never took university courses in communication has influenced the world more than anyone else who ever lived. He communicated in such a way that his manner and actions sent signals that touched people. People were amazed at his power and insights. ”No man has ever spoken like this man!” Relationships are built on communication. In our own relationships we communicate far more information non-verbally than in words. Our facial expressions, body language, gestures and tone of voice give us away no matter what our words may be. We sense more from one another than what we say. Communication is how we reach understanding and nothing is a substitute for presence. It’s why emails or texts are no substitute for the human voice and the human face.
Prayer
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O God.
Psalm 19:14
Action
Take time to communicate with those who are important to you. Be attuned to their non-verbal communications. Be aware of your own. Do your words match your actions when it matters?
Suggested Reading
The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
John 7:45
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:34
Communicating in a cordial manner means that those who read or listen to us are led to welcome our participation in the joys, fears, hopes and suffering of the women and men of our time. Those who speak in this way love the other because they care and protect their freedom without violating it.
Pope Francis
Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.
Rollo May
he most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.
Peter Drucker
I think for any relationship to be successful, there needs to be loving communication, appreciation, and understanding.
Miranda Kerr
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou
An open ear is the only believable sign of an open heart.
David Augsburge
Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after.
Anne Morrow Lindberg
People live too much of their lives on email or the Internet or text messages these days. We’re losing all of our communication skills.
Tracy Morgan
The difference between face-to-face conversation and any other medium of communication is simple: No distractions are permitted.
Alexandra Petri