Communication breakdowns.

They can occur between two people, such as when the phrase “listen here” comes out as “hiss and leer.” Or the solemn oath “So help me God” gets twisted into “Go help me sod.”

We’ve all experienced these breakdowns, and maybe even caused them. But to really foul things up, you need a computer.

Yes, a computer. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?

Newspaper columnist Courtland Milloy recently dialed 411, and a female voice asked, "What city and state, please?" He said, "Landover, Maryland." The voice replied, "You said England. Is that correct?"

Another time he telephoned Amtrak. "Hi, I'm Julie," the voice said. Julie gave him a menu of services to select from, and he asked for scheduling information. "What day would you like to leave?" asked the voice. Courtland mumbled to himself, "Hold on a second." Julie replied, "I think you asked for December 22nd. Is that correct?"

Computers. They're not very good listeners, are they?

These voices on the phone are “virtual characters,” computer programs designed to assist — and perhaps even replace — living, breathing telephone operators. They are a product of the latest speech-recognition technology, but they don't always grasp what we are saying to them.

Computers can cause some serious communication breakdowns. But they are not alone. I know that each one of us suffers breakdowns with people around us, as well as with God. That’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Go help me sod.

Psalm 119 encourages us to make a connection with the Lord through the words of the Bible. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” begins today’s passage — this verse stresses the importance of recognizing God’s voice, hearing God’s word, and following God’s way.

But what if we don’t get the message? What if God speaks, and we don’t hear him accurately?

I know that I don’t always practice good “speech recognition” when the word of God comes to me in a passage of Scripture, in a message from a pulpit, or in the reprimand of a friend — I tend to want to hear a voice that is pleasing to me, one that fits my approach to the Christian faith. When reading the Bible, for example, I am always more interested in examples of the mercy of God than the harsh judgment of God. When Jesus calls me to turn away from anger or lust or the love of money, I am much quicker to ask for mercy than to take steps to change my life. Requesting forgiveness is always much easier than making a significant personal change.

But when I really hear God’s word, really listen to it, I know that God’s goal for me is nothing less than personal transformation. I realize that I need to take seriously what God is saying through his ordinances, laws, precepts, decrees, and statutes.

God’s word is a guiding light, according to Psalm 119, a voice that we should recognize. But we don’t always hear it. And this is a breakdown that can break us.

The way to avoid hearing “hiss and leer” when God says “listen here” is to approach the Bible in a whole new way. I believe that it is essential for us to start approaching the Bible as a personal encounter with God, rather than as an impersonal search for information. God is interested in developing a relationship with us — one that is deep and rich and satisfying and strong, one that can carry us through any kind of hardship, distress, peril or violence. God wants to speak clearly to us so that we will know how much he loves us … so that we will allow him to move in and change us … so that we will open ourselves fully to his gift of abundant life.

Listen carefully for what God is saying to you through today’s passage of Scripture. Notice that there is no guarantee of comfort in this psalm, only connection. “I am severely afflicted,” says the psalm-writer; “give me life, O LORD, according to your word” (v. 107). The writer knows that our lives are in God’s hands, and there is no good to be found apart from God. The words of this psalm may sound harsh, but they are really all about connection. Listen with fresh ears to the terms that describe how we are bound tightly to God: Righteous ordinances … laws … precepts … decrees … statutes.

These words bring order out of chaos, and offer illumination in places of deep darkness. They have a truly positive power, one that leads the psalm-writer to say, “Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart” (v. 111). There is nothing oppressive about such words of guidance — instead, they lead us toward a life of love and joy and peace and connection.

These words have power to change us … but only if we truly hear them. God us asking us to listen to what he is saying, and to stay in relationship with him by obeying his word.

Stay connected to me, says God, with no communication breakdowns.

The very same is true in our relationships with one another. One of the aspects of my relationship with Carrie that I treasure the most is the quality of our communication. Over the course of our five years together, we have not always seen eye-to-eye, but we have dealt with our different perspectives and disagreements one-on-one. Instead of making a public spectacle of our differences, we have always worked things out behind closed doors. We have a great deal of respect for each other, so it has been important for us to stand before you as a team — supportive of each other, and in harmony with each other, as we have put our distinctive gifts to use.

Carrie, I will really miss you as a colleague. And wherever God leads you — and leads us here at FPC — I hope he will provide this same quality of relationship.

This kind of communication is going to be more important than ever as FPC moves into the year to come. We cannot afford the kind of breakdowns that can break us. Together, we are challenged to listen for God’s word, a word which can be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Together, we are challenged to communicate openly and honestly about our frustrations and concerns. Together, we are challenged to keep each other on God’s path, especially when we wander from his way. Together, we are challenged to embrace God’s laws and statutes — not out of a fear of punishment, but out of a passion for God’s word. Together, we are challenged to keep our eyes on Jesus — the one who is the word of God in human form.

In just a few minutes, we will be sharing the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. This meal reminds us that Jesus comes to us, enters into us, feeds us and strengthens us. Jesus is our strongest communication link with Almighty God, connecting us with God’s gift of forgiveness and new life. Jesus is our clearest sign that God really wants to be in relationship with us, and to offer us his love and support. Jesus helps us to keep God’s laws and statutes through his own personal example, so that we will have a flesh-and-blood illustration of what it means to walk in God’s will and God’s way.

Jesus is not a computer voice, not a virtual character. He is alive and well and living inside us, helping us to stay on God’s path — especially when we are tempted to wander.

Jesus is the one who hears us and answers us. Not when we say, “Go help me sod,” but whenever we say, “So help me God.” Amen.

Source:
Courtland Milloy, "Who Wants to Talk Like a Computer?" The Washington Post, December 15, 2004, B1.