The Challenge of Communication

I often noticed that when we speak of communication, the first thing that comes to mind is media. Most of us tend to reduce communication into media instruments like television, radio, film and the like. It is true that media are part of this process of communication. However, the aspect of communication is much broader in meaning than mere technology. As a matter of fact, it encompasses the whole spectrum of our life, the spiritual, psychological, economic, and political aspect as well.

One of the many challenges we are facing in the coming third millenium is the rapid development of communication. As one author would express it, the world had become one great village. Our communication has become global, reducing distances, creating virtual neighbors among various nations.

This evolution in communication is always challenging us to change mentality. In contemporary term, we call it paradigm shift. The new generation lives in a world shaped by media. Whereas before words alone would suffice; now it is entirely a different thought. What matters today in communication are the speed and the images, these create impact on the audience.

I had a very interesting experience years ago when I was still in college. Being a member of the missionary club of the school, we used to go out to public schools to teach catechism. I was assigned two classes to teach which really exhausted my creativity (not to mention my patience) to the limit. I used to think that my dislike of the teaching profession started out of this experience. At any rate, I discovered how easy it is to get the full attention of the kids and for them to assimilate faster when the lesson was taught audio visually.

It is a reality that people today, (and that also include me), are fascinated by the image. We want to be audio-visual in our way of communicating. We unconsciously look for it when we are in conversation with others or when we listen to speakers. That’s why we dismiss, as boring, anyone who does not come up to our expectations.

This kind of attitude poses a great challenge to our Church communicators today. It is one thing to have something good and solid to communicate but it is equally another thing to be able to communicate it effectively. Angela Ann Zukowski (an American Nun and former Chairperson of International Organization of Film and Audiovisual), mentioned in her writings that it is very important for Church Communicators to “retell the stories of Scripture and our Catholic heritage within the human stories of today, or, alternatively, to discuss the spirituality of human situation in the light of Scripture.” “The Gospel,” according to her, “must be communicated in symbols, models, images and words that are easily understood by people. Otherwise it does not get communicated at all. ” In other words, there is a challenge for us Church Communicators, to identify new perspectives and possibilities in our way of communicating the Word in order to become more effective in our world today.

Retracing the Footsteps of Christ

Alberto Castellani is an Italian filmmaker who has done a lot of religious documentary. One of his latest works is a series on the life of Christ entitled In the Footsteps of Christ. There is a beautiful story behind the production of this documentary that is worthwhile sharing.

Castellani maybe a stranger to us but he is well known in Italy for the religious-artistic value of his works. Perhaps it could be surmised that his production of religious documentary does not have anything to do by way of expressing his faith until he met an accident that radically changed his outlook in life. This accident led him into an in-depth soul searching. He realized that he had been producing a lot of religious films but he was only doing it to satisfy his artistic pursuits and nothing else. The third millenium is about to come, and here he is, at the crossroad of his life asking himself: What can he do for God? This realization led him to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and retrace the footsteps of Jesus. He found his experience so enriching that he decided to share it to people by producing this documentary with another colleague of his.

These videos were filmed between 1996 and 1997 in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Syria. The documentary offers the viewers information concerning the dramatic events that took place in those parts of the world twenty centuries ago. They also help us to re- examine the events of the Gospel and to meet Jesus in a new way.

The filmmakers employ archeology, history and Scripture in their production of this documentary. Their presentation of the narrative totally immerses us in the atmosphere of daily life during the time of Jesus.

I would personally recommend these videos because they are very useful as a reflection tool for recollections and retreats and study aid for seminars and religious courses. By the way, In the Footsteps of Christ comes in a series of ten programs in five videocassettes.

Of Stories and Storytellers

When I was still a junior Sister and taking up theology I was fortunate enough to attend a class on narrative theology given by Fr. Denis McBride, a visiting Redemptorist priest based in England. I had no idea if he was already writing then, but Fr. McBride is now the author of four books on Scripture and Homiletics. I could not forget this short but enriching experience of being in his class because of the effect he had on us and on me personally. The course being narrative theology was full of storytelling. He shared with us stories drawn from the gospels and life experiences. Boy, was he a great storyteller! He literally held us captive by the way he told his stories.

Why do stories fascinate us? (I am speaking here of uplifting stories, the kind where we could draw upon some lessons on life.) For the simple reason that it tells a lot about us, the people we live with and society in general. Stories mirror our life experiences. They are not just mere ideas. They have flesh and bones. That’s precisely the reason when we sometimes cry or laugh over some silly but touching stories.

Catherine de Hueck Doherty, a well-known author and an engaging storyteller to boot used to say, “stories are very powerful in helping us understand and remember deep truths about life.”

The following account was one of the many stories, which Doherty wrote in her book Not Without Parables.

Katzia (polish name for Catherine) was a thin and awkward looking girl. She washed dishes in some third-rate restaurant as her means of living. She came to Friendship House (Doherty’s Drop-in Center) when she lost her job and was hungry. She stayed there for sometime, silently doing all the menial tasks of cleaning and scrubbing the floor even without being asked or told. Then, one day, she found a job and moved away.

Monday was her day off, and she usually spent it at Friendship House, helping around. She was usually silent, except for a word or two or a fleeting smile.

One day at Friendship House she met another girl, about 20 years old, thin and sick and had been a prostitute. Katzia took the girl to her place, a small room that she has been renting for herself.

Katzia did not come back to Friendship House for several weeks after that. Doherty tried to locate her but couldn’t. A few months later, Catherine received a letter from the director of a sanatorium. It was a dictated letter, signed by Katzia. She said that she was a patient there along with the girl she had tried to help.

Doherty and her staff visited Katzia in the hospital. They learned that Katzia contracted TB through the other girl. Both were very, very ill. A year later Katzia died and the thin girl got better. She has been working ever since, without pay, in the convent of some poor nuns. “Greater love has no man...”

A short story about a “little” person with a great and loving heart.

Of course, we may be surrounded with great storytellers both gifted and not but there is one whose greatness in storytelling cannot be surpassed. Jesus, the Master Teacher, taught his people in parables that they could understand and apply in their lives. He told the most unforgettable stories in the world. He is the master storyteller of all!