Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Tower of Babel

Do you ever get the feeling that you and the person you are talking to are speaking two different languages? You're both saying exactly what you mean, but somehow, the message is not getting across? I had a moment like this today. I had made what seemed to be a reasonable request...a yes or no question really, and received an answer that felt like an ambush. There may or may not have been tears as a result on my end...but only for a second.

The truth of the matter is, we each express ourselves in unique manners, and the odds are, at some point in your life, you'll run into a person that communicates and expresses themselves in the polar opposite of you. But what is one to do? Even if you understand that there are differences, and even if you manage to figure out what those differences are, there is still little to be done to overcome them.

I would suppose the only thing to do would be to take a deep breath before every conversation, realizing that it is only going to go so well. Make adjustments to attempt to speak the other language, but know you'll probably sound like a foreign tourist to the other. And make adjustments in your brain to accommodate for the difference as you hear it.

But what I really wonder is, what is God trying to accomplish through all of this confusion? Is there some end result that can be positive? Some days I feel like I'm standing at the base of the Tower of Babel wondering, Does anyone speak my language?

No comments: