They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:3-4 (NIV)
Part 1 – Language Barrier
What comes out of our mouths make up what we understand as language. Language is our (humanities) attempt at expressing what we experience, which can be at times inexpressible.
By its essence everyday, general language does not convey the completeness or complexity of the human condition. This is because for communication to be truly effective it has to be efficient.
For example, we don’t usually describe things in exact measurements. A car is a complex arrangement of manufactured and processed materials with intricate systems arranged together to facilitate fast and efficient transport from point A to point B. We could get even more detailed and describe the workings of each system to effectively communicate the exactness of a car. But we don’t…Most people use cars with a basic understanding of how they work and how they are made up. For me to communicate to you that we’re going to take a ride in my car doesn’t require a detailed explanation of how it works. However just because it’s not, or can’t be, completely expressed, the car’s ability to continue to function is not compromised.
So we find ourselves using broad language to convey macro ideas. It’s efficient and effective. But it lowers the resolution of detail.
If you were to ask me why I love my wife, Lizzy, I’d rattle off a list that included beautiful, smart, funny, kind and generous. Now if those were criteria for love and marriage, then there’s potentially millions who meet it. However, these aren't solely the reasons why I married her. I can’t really explain why, and the reasons why I can’t have to do with how our brains work.
The limbic system within the brain (middle brain) is the processing centre for emotions. However, our speech and language is primarily controlled by the neo-cortex (outer brain). This makes communication of emotion, the things we feel, quite difficult to articulate in words.
You can see how we can ‘feel’ a certain way, but are unable to describe it.
Ever walked into a room and ‘felt’ the tension? No words are spoken, but there is a definite sense that something is not right.
Language simply cannot fully explain the human experience. It is a translation of sorts; a rough estimate of ‘I’… the experience of being you.
So when it comes to God, the ability to completely describe what we experience is impossible because words in and of themselves have a limit.
Go to PART 2 “Words Filled with Grace”
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