When Communication Fails

The modern cliche' is that people need to communicate better if they are to forge better relationships. There is plenty of truth to that, but I offer two interesting failures in communication:

1. The Christian Church Today website, a nice looking website that seeks to connect the Christian churches, has decided to shut down their forum/discussion pages. The reason? Too cantankerous! The website reports they are ending the forum because of "ongoing negative nature of some posts and the administrative work required to maintain them."

Sigh. I completely understand why they would rather shut them down then try to reform them. For all of the strengths of the church, the ongoing weakness is that when we believe something with intensity we have trouble disagreeing amicably. I'm not pointing fingers. I have the same struggles as anybody else on this topic. High standards don't usually mix well with high levels of offered grace ... and it's what makes Jesus all the more worthy of our devotion.

2. I had lunch last week with Bob H. at Cootie Brown's (if you're a Grandview reader of the blog then you know that Bob H. could one of three people ... I'll let you decide who this is). He had a coupon for a $5 steak. You might want to steer clear of that special (get it! steer!).

Bob worked hard to enjoy the steak but it was a losing battle. He told me that he wouldn't mention it to the waitress unless she asked how the food was. She didn't ask.

On the way out, though, the chirpy sorority girl behind the cash register asked the question that Bob was dying to answer. In an Appalachian sing song voice she asked, "How waaaas everything?" I immediately smiled deep within my soul.

"My steak," Bob proclaimed, "was inedible."

"GOooood," she said, not grasping a thing he said. My soul-smile simply widened as I walked past to go get the car.

"GoooOOOD?!" I heard Bob say, "I don't think you know what 'inedible' means!"

That was the last I heard. Aaahhhh ... communication.