I have a passive fluency in “Cat”. I haven’t learned to speak it, but I have learned to understand certain words through their context. For instance, the high pitched, strung out, muffled meow means, “Feed me now!”, if it occurs in front of the food dish, or “Give me a drink from the faucet”, if it is delivered while sitting on the rim of the tub. The low pitched, groaning meow arising from the pit of the stomach means, “A hair ball is on the way.” Full throated cries while standing in front of a closed door mean, “Open it so that I can decide whether or not I want to go there.” A grinding sound fixed on one tone signals, “This is my turf. All other cat types get out of here.” It took me some time and experience to learn to understand these messages. After all, I wasn’t raised speaking “Cat”, so I learned this language only after living with Baxter and paying attention to his habits and ways of communicating. Now, after many years, we can have a lively exchange at times, though it usually consists of two scripts. Baxter keeps insisting on something, and I keep responding with “No,” “Wait” or “Later”. Eventually, he gets what he wants. (Yes, I admit it. He is spoiled.)
Conversation is an art. It is not scripted. It happens when two parties communicate with each other in such a way that the communication itself creates the message. Conversations involve give and take, which leads to new understandings and ways of living with each other. A true conversation never begins with conclusions. Even the positions or opinions that the partners may hold at the start are not taken for granted. They are explored together to gain deeper insight into why each person holds the convictions he or she does and what these reveal about them. The point of a conversation is not necessarily an answer to the problem we are facing, but a bond with each other that allows us eventually to find an answer together. Only humans and higher beings can have conversations. With lower creatures, like cats, we may have messages sent, received and sent back, but not genuine attempts to get into each other’s heart and mind to find our common ground.
Faith sets us up to have a conversation with God. When we believe, we are interested in getting to know God for who He truly is. We want to understand God’s viewpoint, empathize with divine concerns, and work with God to solve our common problems, and God promises to do the same with us. We know this because in Jesus God took on our human condition as one with us. He knows our language from the inside out, and He seeks to use it to create a bond with humanity based upon mutual respect, understanding and love. But how often do we deal with God and with each other in “Cat” speak? We just send messages, most often demands, and expect the other to follow them. We don’t want a conversation. We want to get our way with each other, and when we don’t, we’re frustrated and upset. Our faith calls us to something more than this superficial way of relating to God and each other in God. It calls us to a communion of life in God.
It begins by allowing conversations to happen. Pray as if you are talking to God over the back fence. There’s no agenda, no conclusions, no demands, just getting to know each other by sharing what is going on in your life. Then move to talking with each other as if you are praying—with respect, openness, interest and concern. Now your faith becomes real because it colors the way you relate to others and your God. Keep doing it, and one day you will discover you are speaking “God”. It’s the lovely language of prayer and of honest and genuine conversations with each other.
