The Importance of Clarity

Yesterdays question started a great back & forth in one of my 4 man text groups. I generally get more feedback from the controversial, and I guess that’s probably just the way it goes nowadays. For many, there’s not as great of a need to say anything to something when they agree, but that reminds me of a Facebook post from last week: “just because you agree with a quote or book doesn’t mean it’s right” I quickly clarified “unless, of course, the One you’re quoting is God and the book is the Bible.”

After I had a great talk with one of the men on my “Paul list” I added some very important clarity to yesterday’s post on credibility – also including the concerns in the comment section.

Another member of the “Paul List” has been beating the brevity drum for a while, but he recently told me what someone told him: “brevity is important, but not at the expense of clarity.” And boy did I like that! Especially since this person’s brevity just left me with more questions!!! Yes you might have to use a few extra words, or make a 15 minute phone call, but providing adequate clarification to aid comprehension is extremely important to prevent misunderstanding.

Of all the reasons clarity is important, the one I want to highlight most is that it ensures a discussion doesn’t descend into the deep abyss of argument! Nothing stops the elevation of communication like senseless contentions. Living together with understanding can prevent this, especially in the home. (1 Peter 3:7)

So I pray that my posts are clear, and if they aren’t, please ask for clarification. It’s important enough to me to re-edit something I wrote if one person reads it differently than I meant it. I also must remind everyone including myself that we won’t always see things with 100% clarity, but we can eagerly look forward to the day when we will! (1 Cor 13:12 )

Peace,
Adam