Nothing too profound today, but I write this blog today at an outdoor coffee shop. Lots of people deep in conversations. But one girl at a table got my attention. She was making a ZOOM call on her computer. The interesting thing was she was deaf and she was not talking but using sign language. She was enthusiastically using sign language. Now I was fairly discreet. I don’t think she saw me watching her, but talk about fascinating. It was not that she was just using her hands to communicate. She was using every facial expression possible as she signed. It was obvious she was building a significant bridge in her relationship with the person on the other side of the computer.
I don’t know the first thing about signing. But I could almost understand everything she was saying. Without knowing it, she taught me a valuable lesson. When you wish to communicate well, commit your whole body to the process. We communicate better when we use more than words. Your eyes, your hands, your emotions, and your body are all a part. Engaging speakers know this. Jesus knew this. He was totally open and honest with His emotions. He didn’t hide who He was and is. For example, in John 11:36 John records these words… Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” What you say, how you say it, what you do and how you do it matters. Move beyond disseminating information when you talk…build a bridge.