Mumble with a Jamaican Twist

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I’m not sure what language flight attendants study in preparation for their jobs, but the attendant on my trip from Washington, D.C., excelled at Mumble with a Jamaican twist. 

As she garbled her way through emergency evacuation instructions while we taxied toward the runway, I heard a child ask her mother, “What language is she speaking?” I was equally puzzled.

After the attendant's confusing discourse, she repeated her explanation without words. She pointed to the emergency exits and demonstrated how to fasten our seat belts, position oxygen masks over our noses, and use our seat cushions as flotation devices. Unlike her spoken instructions, her physical demonstration was clear and easy to understand. 

Sometimes our attempts to share our faith are much like my flight attendant’s safety demonstration. Hearing confusing and unfamiliar terminology, our neighbors and co-workers struggle to understand what we're saying. Sometimes we assume they know what we know, and we neglect to explain the basics of the gospel.

There is one universal language, however, that's effective for sharing both emergency flight instructions and faith. It is the language of demonstration. 

When I treat the disabled, dysfunctional, and downtrodden with love and respect, I demonstrate that people are created in the image of God. 

When I remain faithfully committed to my husband, I demonstrate that marriage is a covenant promise for a lifetime. 

When I unconditionally love those around me, I demonstrate how God loves me, even when I’m unlovable. 

When I give my time and talent to others, I demonstrate that everything I have comes from God and should be generously shared with others.

It’s important that we share our faith with clear and easily understood words. It’s also important that our actions demonstrate what our words say. God uses both methods of communication to share his love with a world that desperately needs it. 

How about you? Which method do you think is more effective for communicating the gospel? Can we separate one from the other? I invite you to leave a comment below and join the conversation.

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