Not being ready for that kind of disparity, disaster ensued. The older boys produced a steady stream of complaints. “We’ve done that already.” “We’ve seen that already.”
And my personal favorite: “Uh, mister, that kid’s head is turning purple.”
A kindergarten boy had taken one of the rubber bands – one that would fit a small town newspaper weekday edition, not the New York Times Sunday edition – and squeezed his head through it up to his forehead. The elastic was so tight, everything above it was purple melon majesty, above his face so plain.
Even though he said nothing, I got the message.
In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul implores us to be an example “in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Paul mentions speech once in that list of five. That means about 80% of everything you communicate to people is potentially non-verbal. An angry look. The offer of a handshake. A smile. A turned back. A quiet confidence. Restless hands or feet. An overly eager nod or a slow shake of the head. All those actions, and hundreds of thousands more, provide clues to those around us about where our heart is, and offer a glimpse into our state of mind.
Therefore, 80% of our witness as Christians is non-verbal, too. Everything we do, everything we think, everything we like and dislike, and what we do in our spare time is all on display at one time or another. Behavior springs from belief, and demonstrates what is and what is not important to us.
It will not matter how eloquently we talk about Jesus if our actions do not jive with His teachings. People intuitively know when our words and our actions do not align, and they will turn away.
And if someone who’s watching you crams a rubber band over their head, trust me, you’ve lost them, even if they never say a word.
