The Signal and the Noise

A friend and tech. missionary posted this the other day and I thought it worth repeating here (used by permission). I thought it apropos with our work in radio and have had some similar thoughts now and again.

What are *you* contributing to?
It's something I've been thinking about a fair bit on and off over the past several months. We're called to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth, and to share the good news of Jesus with those who don't know Him. As a missionary, I often think about that in terms of those who live in the 10/40 window or similar, and haven't had the chance to hear about Jesus at all. But sometimes, I think about the challenges people face here in the U.S. when it comes to hearing about Jesus.

Noise. Deafening noise.

In the world of sound systems and professional audio, you'll frequently hear the term "signal-to-noise ratio" mentioned. What that term relates to is the kind of fidelity the equipment has -- how much noise is mixed in with the desired signal?

In many places in the world, the name of Jesus hasn't even been heard, but here in the States one big problem seems to be the noise -- the things that people "learn" about "Jesus" that aren't true.

In the New Testament, we see examples of the Noise. Judaizers and Circumcision (see Galatians). Many other human regulations that came to be associated with godliness but which were not of any value (See Colossians 2).

Paul's approach was different. He writes in I Corinthians 9:19-23,

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. (NASB)

Remember that this is an ex-Pharisee writing these verses. The Pharisee of Pharisees, Saul of Tarsus. Now a very saved, Holy Spirit filled, and broken Paul. He wanted people to meet Jesus.

What do you think? What are the people around you hearing about Jesus? When people hate you, are they hating you for the right reason? Do you see the lost as dying and in need of Jesus? Or do you see them solely as your political opponents? Or do you see them only as the "trouble" living in a nearby drug-infested neighborhood?

Our heart and perspective will influence what we communicate. Are we communicating the truth about Jesus? Or just more noise?

As for me? In this way I've messed up more times than I can count. Lives and eternities are on the line. How can we communicate better who Jesus truly is?

Posted on January 19th, 2010 by Greg.Beeley
(http://lan.lightsys.org/blogs/?id=4491&one)