Communication is the imparting or exchanging of information or news.by means of sending or receiving information. The different categories of communication include: “Spoken or Verbal Communication, which includes face-to-face, telephone, radio or television and other media. Non-Verbal Communication, covering body language, gestures, how we dress or act, where we stand, and even our scent. There are many subtle ways that we communicate (perhaps even unintentionally) with others. For example, the tone of voice can give clues to mood or emotional state, whilst hand signals or gestures can add to a spoken message. Written Communication: which includes letters, e-mails, social media, books, magazines, the Internet and other media. Until recent times, a relatively small number of writers and publishers were very powerful when it came to communicating the written word. Today, we can all write and publish our ideas online, which has led to an explosion of information and communication possibilities. Visualizations: graphs and charts, maps, logos and other visualizations can all communicate messages.” (Staff, n.d.) All communication starts with an idea or message. “A source (a person’s mind) sends the message through an encoder (process by which ideas are converted to symbols or sound for transmission), Symbols and or sounds transmit by a variety of methods and the message is received by the decoder (the process that converts symbols or sound into ideas), and the process is repeated as many time as is necessary for the understanding of the information.
James 1:19 speaks of communication telling us to, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”. Every argument and every misunderstanding start with a sharp tongue or misunderstood message. Spoken or Verbal Communication is absolutely necessary for the majority of communications. We talk to each other, listen to the radio, talk on the phone, and watch television to receive information. Unfortunately, this form of communication is many times abused. Many people listen with the intent upon formulating a response rather than actually trying to understand. Many times, people respond before they have actually thought about what they want to say. Once the words leave your mouth they cannot return. Another unfortunate fact is many times we receive communications that are intentionally bias for are designed to confuse or influence the listeners. The media has always had an agenda but in recent year the bias and misinformation has risen to an unprecedented level. People have also been influenced by social slang and the corruption of language that makes understanding more difficult. Every argument and every misunderstanding start with a sharp tongue or misunderstood message. Ephesians 4:29 reminds us, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
In 1971, Albert Mehrabian published a book titled “Silent Messages”. Professor Mehrabian combined the statistical results of the two studies and came up with the now famous—and famously misused—rule that communication is only 7percent verbal and 93 percent non-verbal. The non-verbal component was made up of body language (55 percent) and tone of voice (38 percent). Is it true that what you say matters less than how you say it? The look on your face, the tone of your voice, the attitude display, all send a message that determines the way a person receives the communication. Proverbs 6:12-20 describes non-verbal communication in the following. “A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore, calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”
Written communication use to be simple. A person would use symbols, place the symbols on a paper, chalk board, bill board, magazine, newspaper, book, or some medium and other person would come along and decipher the message. Now we have twitter, Facebook, texting, and a variety of other mediums that have greatly complicated the written communications. Accountability, honesty, and trustworthiness have suffered greatly with the new way to communicate. Ephesians 4:19 describes this by stating, “They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” Anyone can hide behind their computer or telephone and produce misinformation, propaganda, and outright lies and send the information to millions of people around the world without fear of reprisal. There was a certain amount of trust and honor that no longer exist. All information received in any of these mediums should be researched to verify it accuracy. Exodus 20:16 reminds us, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Revelation 21:8 goes on to say, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Staff. (n.d.). Skills You Need. Retrieved from What Is Communication: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/what-is-communication.html