The Listener Comes First
We have this saying in Radio Worldwide, that 'The listener
comes first'. This simply reflects one of the most important principles of
communication - i.e. that communication must always centre on the
person on the receiving end.
Too often Christians get so excited about the gospel
message that they forget the person they are trying to reach.
Maybe they aren't even sure what sort of person they are reaching.
Or, in some cases they seem to think that the whole issue of who we are speaking
to is God's part of the job - meaning that we do not have to
adjust what we are saying, as God will make sure it ultimately reaches the appropriate
person.
Though God is sovereign, this should never be an excuse for us to
be irresponsible. This thinking flies in the face of scripture, where the
speakers (Jesus, for example) are always adapting their communication to
the person or people they are talking to.
For instance, when Paul speaks to the people of Athens at the
Areopagus, he talks about what the Greeks know. He quotes their "pagan"
poetry, but he doesn't quote scripture, and he does not even mention the
name of Jesus. His presentation of the gospel is completely centred on
what the Greek philosophers will find interesting and relevant. And this
way of speaking gets him results. He is asked to speak again.
We can carry the analogy through to radio.
As Christians, if we make what we have to say relevant to people and manage to keep
their attention, they will come back for more. The fact
is - nobody gets bored listening to radio, they simply stop listening.
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