Tacit Communication

Did you know that a large percentage of day-to-day communication is unspoken?  Things like body language and facial expressions convey much of what we are thinking or feeling.  While we usually communicate with words, we don’t necessarily have to.  And in general, having a strong relationship with a person means that fewer words are needed to communicate because both parties are operating on the same wavelength.  Think of when your mom gave you “the look” and you immediately went and emptied the garbage without a word.  This form of communication requires relationship, and understanding.

This type of communication can be seen in an extreme form with our bodies.  We don’t tell our arm: “move upwards, then forwards. Okay fingers, grab that cup.”  We just desire or ‘will’ it to happen and our body obeys.  No words necessary, just the closest physical/mental relationship possible.

This is the sort of communication that should be occuring with the body of Christ.  Ideally, whatever God’s desire or will may be, we the body should simply execute his will.  We don’t need to wait to hear him say the words “Go feed the homeless” or “care for the sick.”  We get frustrated when we don’t hear the voice of God.  We complain that we don’t know what God wants us to do.  But if we tune in to God, if we study His word, if we submit ourselves to His will, then we won’t have to wait for Him to speak.  It’s just like when we move our feet to take us where we want to go; the body of Christ should also be moving towards His desired destination.  No words necessary, just the closest spiritual relationship possible.

This is all easier said than done, of course.  When we first become part of the body of Christ, we are just like one of our natural limbs, eager to follow the will of Christ.  However, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, we realized that there was no “inhibitor chip” and we became like Doc Oc’s supplementary limbs with minds of our own (Spiderman, anyone?).  Could God force us to obey him? Yes, but he chooses not to because he loves us and gave us free will.  In order to get back to that willful, tacit, perfect level of communication, we must submit ourselves to God’s will.  We must seek Him, read His word, and grow in relationship with Him.  Only then will the body of Christ function as our physical bodies function: quickly, effectively, and unquestioningly.