B10 Information and Emotions
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B10 Information and Emotions
Christians have the idea that the Gospel is information. Sure, the Good News surely is information.
When I look into my beloved Daniela’s eyes – she is my wife – I say, „Love, you are the most precious human being in the universe to me.“ It’s information! But it has huge impact! On one hand, it communicates my emotions, and at the same time it evokes her emotions. Here is one cardinal postulate in the field of interpersonal communication:
We are not able to share information without emotions!
Every information we have shared expresses our emotions, and at the same time it evokes emotions in our recipient! Even boredom is an emotion, joy, insecurity, calmness, doubt, enthusiasm, anger, fear, acceptance… These all involve strong emotions that inevitably go with our sharing of information.
Have you noticed that stories told by Jesus contained lots of emotions? Luke 15: the woman has found her coin and rejoices even by calling the neighbors; the shepherd has found the lost sheep and does the same. Even in heaven there is great joy! Jesus experiences and shares his emotions: he rejoices, he feels sorry, he is angry, he likes someone, he even cries…
If our sharing was just about emotions, it would be poor. However, it is not possible to communicate a message without emotions! I don’t want you to artificially evoke an emotion in the people around you, now. I’m just telling you, that you’re evoking their emotions already! The way you tell them your precious spiritual truths, the words you use, and other elements reflect your emotions and at the same time evoke emotions in them! I guess no one will care much about your message until you connect with their lives, their needs and dreams; with their emotions and their decisions.
To some Christians I say: Go where they are, and simply be with them. When you’ll discuss your observations and feelings with Jesus, perhaps regret will grow in you, perhaps anger. And maybe also a decision to do something about it! Allow yourself to be anxious about the fate of your friends. When in contact with them you experience an emotion, it may become a way to connect with them!
The emotional side of our conversations often determines the degree of accepting the message we are trying to convey to them. It is not a matter of speaking in a sweet tone, but, as Jesus puts it: „The mouth says what overflows the heart“ (Matthew 12:34).
To believing friends who want to learn invitation to Discovery, I sometimes say, „Try to invite me to your Discovery, as if I were your George.“ As soon as he tries, I ask: „How do you feel about it, as if you told it to your George?“ The answer is seldom clearly positive. „And what do you think I felt from your invitation, being your George?“ Your inner emotions will simply be reflected in your invitation! Something radiates of you, you transfer it to your George, as well.
And so we may need to revise our attitudes and thoughts and perhaps our feelings (emotions) before the Lord. From these emotions our actions result; and of course also judgments and actions of the friends we invite!
I have only five minutes here for a brief summary of this great and unusual topic. One more key challenge: You better do it all wrong than not at all. Rather invite your George shaking than procrastinate and not invite him. First, God’s grace is great – that’s why you’re here, and that’s why I’m here – we invited Jesus to life based on the simple message of ordinary shaking people. And secondly: If something goes wrong for you now and you learn from it, it will be your precious treasure for the next time. One day you will remember your timid beginnings and count the fruit that Jesus still gave it. With prayer really start!
Lord Jesus, thank you for accompanying us in the transformation of our inner self and our actions.