As I sat at my computer I could see one of my dogs panting at the sliding glass door; tail wagging, whining, and occasionally throwing her head back as if to say, “Come on, let’s play!” I began to wonder what was going through her mind – does she think in a doggie language “hearing” different yips and whines and barks in her head that, when put together, mean something? Does she simply do image association connecting me with ball throwing? Or does she actually experience an emotional connection with someone the way I do upon seeing family or friend; so my canine pal actually sees me as the provider of food and play-time and love?
Since I cannot know what my furry friend sees with the mind’s eye I filed the question away until today when I read an article about scientific research on Telepathy. Scientists are attempting to connect two people ‘brain-to-brain’ via EEG and computer. They claim to have picked up simple brain function, transported it over the internet, and caused another person hundreds of miles away to see light flashes in conjunction with the thoughts of the first person. Interesting, but devoid of any constructive purpose.
I experience this sort of thing without all the computerization. Simply by becoming completely distracted by taking a shower I can cause that long awaited phone call to come in guaranteeing that I miss it. My wife telepathically knows when to call when my hands are full or dirty or otherwise occupied. And just when I think I have a few dollars to myself my kids know to ask for gas money – it’s amazing!
But seriously, I do believe there is a spiritual realm which we may become sensitive to from time to time by which God reveals to us things we couldn’t possibly know otherwise. Jesus did it, knowing many times what the Pharisees and others were thinking and responding accordingly (examples would be Luke 6:8 and 11:17) I believe God gives us this ability at times to be sensitive to each other’s needs and recognize deceiving spirits, with hindsight alone revealing that something amazing had happened.
We should be cautious as we can so easily be fooled by what we think; so many outside and internal influences can mislead us. But communication is an exciting topic and historically dates back to creation when God indicates His multidimensional character by saying “Let Us make man in Our image”. And communication between members of the “God-head” occurs again at Jesus Baptism where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share a moment for us to see.
God made everything for His Glory but man alone was made to communicate with God. Adam walked in the Garden with God and I imagine it was there that God told Adam all about creation and things concerning His own nature that were passed down through the generations until Moses put them into book form.
I like what Jesus said outside the tomb of Lazarus as He prepared to call Lazarus out; “ “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” The communication between Jesus and the Father had already taken place; He just said it out loud for the benefit of those watching.
Our ability to communicate in so many languages and our desire to connect with each other in words, written or spoken, created the media/communication boom of the twentieth century which has connected the whole world through invisible waves of information and yet it pales in comparison to the fact that we can think a thought and speak to the Creator of the universe.
One of our three dogs gets excited and lets go with a series of “wroo wrarrr woooorrr woof” and related sounds and it’s easy to think he’s verbalizing something when really he’s just communicating his excitement.
But we, who have the ability to communicate our deepest thoughts and wishes and explain ourselves in such detail still fight and kill each other because we can’t understand our differences; differences mostly relating to how we perceive God.
God communicated to us all we need to know in a Book, yet most of us rarely if ever open that book. God had communication within Himself before we were created, that is how complete He is; yet He chooses to communicate with us in prayer and the Word. One day we will all face Him in person and He will communicate our place in eternity based on how we communicated with Him.
Open the Book…communicate!