Content & Process

Have you ever found yourself talking to somebody and picking up a strange feeling that there's something else going on beyond just the content of the words? Or maybe you've tried to share your opinions or your faith with someone else and have felt you've offended them, that they've moved almost physically away from you?

I learned that there is a difference between the words said (content) and everything else that is going on, unsaid, in a relationship (process). Learning how to read the processes and responding to them is a very important lession in interacting or living with others. So often, we tend to focus on content (words) alone. There are many times when mere words are not enough, and in any situation we need to understand the process as well.

Jesus facinates me! If you study the New Testament, you'll find that He ministered to the processes. The Pharisees came to Him with their theological games. They would ask Him a trick question to get Him to respond at the level of content, but He could see what was going on; He could see the processes and revealed their motivation! In the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus was aware of the processes and ministered to her as a human being from suspicion and distance to helping her open up and being transformed.

I tend to be a content (words-oriented) person. From now on, I want to learn from Jesus and focus on the processes and to develop the skill of seeing and responding to the processes in my relationships, with with individuals and within groups.