Elevating the Level of Communication

The below is an article I wrote while TAD in New Mexico which I had wanted to write for a while. It’s why I talk about “elevating the level of communication” elsewhere. Although this blog is the “lowest level of comm,” I hope comments will come and allow us to take it to a higher level — perhaps even find the highest level together!

— And Why No Christian Should Use Twitter.

Before I begin, a few caveats to this essay are appropriate: First, the title is worded to inspire readership, not to be one of those closed-minded “absolutely factual” statements. No, I want people to read this and consider what I’m saying. The essential caveat to this entire piece is that I am writing on a non-essential, therefore liberty must be applied liberally. And yes, this is a little long — I’m sorry. But I think you’ll enjoy it.

The primary purpose of this paper will be to encourage Believers to think outside the box in order to get the message outside the box that the world is trying to keep Christianity in. I desire the Gospel to reach those who have already rejected it, and God does too (2 Peter 3:9). I want to provide for them as many opportunities as possible to receive and believe the Good News, and I know that doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result is defined as “insanity.”

So here’s my thesis: Christians can and should use technology (including social networking and media) to the greatest extent possible to disciple and evangelize others. We are born for such a time as this (Esther 4:14), and the technology of text message, video chat, web access — everything that Christians did not have 100 years ago — all of it can be used for the furtherance of the Gospel, in submission to the Great Commission, allowing Christ to do His work: to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

One of the most important concepts I like to share with people is this: Have a reason for everything you believe and do, AND let that reason be founded on Scripture. The more scriptures you have per belief or action the better. I also believe it is important to maintain meaningful relationships with other strong believers sharpening each other’s understanding of the principles found in the Word (Proverbs 27:17). Doing this drastically reduces the chances of misinterpreting or misapplying Scripture.

What I’ll close with is the application of a principle I call “Elevating the Level of Communication.” While I won’t place any exclusive claims to this concept, I didn’t read about it anywhere else — I’ve just been doing what I do, and it seemed to make sense.

The basis for this principle is that there are levels at which we all communicate. I just call them low, higher, and highest — or Level 1, 2, and 3.

• Level 1 — Mass Communication: Blog posts, Facebook posts, mass e-mails, group text messages. Broad reach, lowest depth. If you spend all your time here, people will tune you out.
• Level 2 — Individual Communication: A direct comment on a post, a personal reply to a mass email, bumping into someone at the grocery store. Quick but effective — you’ve gone personal.
• Level 3 — Intentional Communication: Scheduled phone calls, lunch with a small group of 3, an intimate Bible study, a men’s retreat. This is where meaningful relationships are born and where they live. It doesn’t happen by accident.

One key principle: any time communication is initiated, I have an opportunity to take it up at least one level. If I get a mass e-mail and have time, I send a quick reply: “Hey man, thanks, good word!” Two seconds — but I’ve just gone from Level 1 to Level 2. If I get a dialogue going on a blog post, I’ll sometimes schedule a phone call to take that Level 2 reply to a Level 3 conversation. And those chance encounters — better put: divine appointments — at the gas station are the perfect opportunity to invite someone to lunch.

What if every Believer really understood the importance of relationship? What if we really knew how the Kingdom of God flows through relationship — how it fulfills the Lord’s prayer when He said: “Thy Kingdom come…”? What if we explored the idea that we were created out of the overflowing, loving relationship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit experienced in perfect unity and harmony in eternity past? Would we value relationships more? Would we look for ways to improve those relationships — like elevating the level of communication?

I hope and pray that this stuff is practical enough for those who are looking for ways to reach the lost, or simply to become better husbands, and fathers, and friends. My purpose is to get the Word out! So if even just one of you takes this on board and starts elevating your communication, that Word will do what Isaiah said it would do: “it will not return void, but it will accomplish what God pleases, prospering in the work for which He sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).