Can You Hear Me Now?

Sometimes I like to let my mind flashback to the things of the past.  I'm sure all of us have objects that bring back memories, or memories that objectify a time which seems to be turning more golden each and every year we breathe.  Just recently, in various daydreams, I've thought about Matchbox cars, little green army men, that electronic football game where the players vibrate all over the board and of course, Tinker Toys.

Then, just yesterday at church as I was watching the Power Point screens pass in front of my eyes, I started giggling because it reminded me of Bible Camp in the '80's and there was always that one person standing, or should I say kneeling, at the front frantically trying to keep up with the songs by changing the plastic see-through sheets for the overhead projector.  Remember when we had to do that for ministry or teaching in school?  Desperately trying to figure out which way the words were supposed to go, flipping them upside down or back and forth until you got them right?  What a way to communicate, right?

So, now that we live in a digital age where a phone - or should I say a computer, which fits into your pocket, not only can take the place of a wall mounted phone, a calculator, a walk-man (I'm dating myself again, but I'm revelling in it like a dog in the mud) and flashlight - but can communicate in so many different ways than I never could have dreamed when I was growing up: shouldn't communication be so much easier?  Shouldn't communication just be second nature now that we can see everything?

One of the things that I truly enjoy about Jesus' understanding of his ministry was his ability to stick pins in the consciousness and consciences of the people who were nearby.  When he was trying to communicate with people, he tended to use the words "The one who has ears, let them hear."  He didn't say, "The one who has eyes, watch this!"  Although Jesus did do very visible miracles which communicated the love of God in all sorts of ways, it was his words that changed people's lives. 

Hope is conceived not in the eyes but through the ears.  Faith gives birth to life through this hope in Jesus and unless we can hear again the message of Christ, of repentance, forgiveness and life eternal, we are sentenced to a life of sight without seeing, and lukewarm faith without belief.

In this new age of communication, I decided that I would take a lap around the Gospel of John and see how both he and Jesus communicated and I think I've found the focal point, or the hub, of everything that they were trying to do:

They were making connections.

When they made connections, new life was found.  Jesus connected people to God ('For God so loved the world...)  Jesus connected people to people (It is the Father living in me who is doing his work.  Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves (sight!).  Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I have been doing, and they will do even greater things that these, because I am going to the Father!)  Jesus connected people on the inside to people on the outside (- to the Samaritan woman - "Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst!)

So, for the next few weeks, read with me, come with new ears, find the connection that Christ brings us to, not just a Spiritual connection, but a living, breathing human connection with those around us.  Find the questions to ask others; find the questions to ask God and ourselves.  Find your ears.

With each segment of John, I'll be asking these questions:

What is the connection which is being made?
How is it weak or strong?
What is God's response in connection with the event?
What does the Word have to say about it?
How can I communicate this connection to others?

There may be other things that come up, but this is a good template to start, I think.  If you have any reflections, send them on to me.