Nuance

Ambiguity

The usual purpose of communication is to relay information clearly. However, many times our communication may not be as clear as would otherwise be intended. One reason that we may not be communicating clearly is because we are ourselves unsure of the exact point that we desire to share. Another reason that our conversations or dialogues may result in uncertainty is because of the way that we are communicating. We can all very easily slip into patterns where we are being too vague. We can also disrupt our communication by over sharing so much that the important details or points are lost in the avalanche of content. All of these reasons for unclear communications result from unintended consequences. 

Manipulation

But sometimes the reason that communication is unclear is not unintentional. Often liars and con artists will lace their speech with subtle inferences that make you think they mean one thing when they actually mean something very different. This slight distinction in expression is meant to manipulate honest people to do or think or agree to something that they would not agree to if they understood the concept accurately. 

This is often the case with polls and surveys. The people making the questions can almost guarantee the desired outcome of the research if they manipulate the way the questions are asked of the participants. This kind of nefarious communication is not the result of an innocent miscommunication but rather a deliberate attempt to deceive. The purpose is to influence people to act or answer contrary to their actual desires.

Meaning

But the subtle addition can also be used to help persuade the listener to hear out a clear presentation. When seeking to share or receive truth we must remember the genuine reality in a real universe are not always simplistic concepts. This means that often the communication of truth will involve the use of nuance and proper tone to convey both the meaning and the importance of many concepts.

We must not come even to Scripture with an attitude that is unwilling to acknowledge the necessary nuance to understand and interpret the things written for us. For example we must know that the Scripture was written not to us but to the audience of the time. This important point is crucial to understand the meaning of the things recorded in the Bible.

It is also necessary to understand that the Bible is a book of progressive revelation. This means that as more of the truth was revealed by God it explains and clarifies earlier revealed truths which at the time may have seemed incredible and cryptic but in light of later revealed truth these things fit together perfectly. There is a symbiotic relationship between these passages. Take for example the writings of the prophets in the Old Testament and the prophecies of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament. We must understand the context and setting of the Old Testament prophecies to correctly interpret the things in a book like Revelation which uses those same images, but you must also have Revelation to rightly understand the fulfillment of the visions that the prophets beheld.

Foundation

Our understanding of our Christian faith and hope of eternal life is not something that was uploaded to our brain or downloaded to our hearts at our conversion. Rather God has chosen to allow us to get to Him and His will through written revelation. Our status as citizens in Christ’s kingdom and members of God’s household is defined through the foundation that we have in the apostles and prophets with Jesus Himself being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-22). This reference to the foundation means the message they handed down to us in the page of Holy Scripture. So let's look diligently into every line and precept that we might correctly interpret even the nuanced points so that we may know, love, and obey God all the more (Isaiah 28:10-17).

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