Communications

4.1 Red-Letter Communication - Part 4

Getting Started

Throughout the Holy Bible, we are able to see ways in which Jesus demonstrated leadership principles that we today hold up as best practices. Throughout the class, we will look at this Red-Letter Leadership (in many Bibles the words of Jesus are printed in red) as it applies to communication.

In past courses, your devotional reflection has been a 1/2 to 1-page interaction between you, the Bible text, and some provided prompts. For this course on communication, we are going to switch things up a bit. Instead of a written reflection, you will provide a 3-to-5-minute video reflection using the Video Note tool (like you have done for the course opening biographies). While you may want to make some notes or a basic outline of key ideas that you want to communicate in your video (in response to the Bible text and prompts), important values for the video reflection are authenticity and transparency. Often it can be helpful to think about three categories of response:

1. What are the key insights that occurred via your reflection?

2. What are some of the ideas, principles, or perspectives that really touched you deeply?

3. What are the questions you are grappling with as a result of the reflection?

Consider your video note to be like a personal conversation you are having with a trusted friend or advisor in a quiet booth at the back of a restaurant over a cup of coffee or tea.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Appraise a biblical perspective regarding communication.

Background Information

This week, we will continue to look at the parables of Jesus. Perhaps Jesus’ most famous parable is that of the Good Samaritan.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)

You can find a myriad of excellent theological interpretations of this passage. What we are going to focus on today is the parable as a communication tool. The story starts with a violent attack that grabs the hearer’s attention. Jesus then uses contrast to show the difference in treatment given by two supposedly respectable members of society and the treatment given by the Samaritan, a person the hearers would have likely had very negative feelings toward. The story ends with the Samaritan going above and beyond what anyone would expect. At the end, to drive his point home, Jesus asked the expert in the law “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man?” This is a great use of questioning to make sure the hearer understands. By telling this parable Jesus expanded the very idea of who your neighbor is.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.  

2. Review the information in the Getting Started and Background Information sections.

3. Record a 3- to 5-minute video response to the questions below using the Video Note tool. Additional assistance on the use of Video Note can be found in this  article (new tab) .

a. Why do you think this parable was effective? 

b. In what ways might this parable challenge you? For example, are there others (e.g., political affiliations, life-style choices, views on various social issues, demographic characteristics, or?) for which you might have a tendency to "walk by on the other side of the road" in your attention, civility, or engagement? Or how have you experienced others walking by on the other side of the road, and in what ways are you taking steps to make sure that you don't do the same?