‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:7-9 (NRSV)

I’ve received hundreds of emails this week from so many different senders.

I respond to some as soon as possible. They’re each a little different, but there is a certain something that makes them more important to me. Would you like to know the one thing those emails have in common? They’re either thoughtful, helpful, informative, necessary, or kind. 

This note is not here in response to any particular communication from anyone: it’s just a helpful guide I try to use when I’m writing to people. I hope you’ll find it useful. It’s born out of my own scriptural conviction encapsulated in the Beatitudes, some of which are above. Jesus didn’t say we have to all think the same way all the time. But he certainly would have a lot to say about how we communicate in 2021.

Please try to let the “T.H.I.N.K.” acrostic guide all your communication.

The idea is that we strive to say (or in this case write) things that are either: 

Thoughtful

Helpful

Informative

Necessary

Kind

Things that are thoughtful honor the reader and speak to them as equals and colleagues in faith. Strive to communicate helpfulness in your communication. Otherwise, why bother writing? Things that are informative allow us to share knowledge with others. Things that are necessary are vital intel for others to work and play with us, often time-based, so folks don’t miss opportunities. Finally, kindness is the glue of social interaction, and there are many examples of kindness in the gospels.

The only addition I’d like us to follow is this: make sure your communication doesn’t just follow one of these important criteria: make sure it follows them all!

The next time you’re writing an email or a text to a fellow Pilgrim, consider taking a moment to T.H.I.N.K. and to apply that high standard to what you have to say. It doesn’t mean we won’t disagree. It doesn’t mean we can’t voice differing opinions. But it does mean that we value each other by making our communication more about reaching understanding, rather than just winning arguments, or having our way. 

Thank you for considering this important path in Christian Fellowship. Remember to T.H.I.N.K. first, then write!