The Tongue

I have an uncle who, in his younger days, could always be counted on to say something outrageous at family gatherings. Even as a small child, I recognized that there was something about his words that made them like small bombs being thrown into the midst of the gathering. Sometimes folks reacted to his words with stunned silence....at other times a heated debate began....and sometimes people just left.

He wasn't unaware of this tendency. In fact, when I was a young adult who had said a few outlandish things myself, he took me aside and said "Pamela, you better take your shoes off before you speak. There will be times when you stick your foot in your mouth....and shoeleather doesn't taste very good!" He spoke from experience!!!!

And what I learned later was that back in his younger days he had many, many times when he needed to go to friends and family to make amends. As he aged he began to hold his tongue. As he aged I began to see him as a kind, gentle person... as he restrained his tongue we all could see him in a light that was dramatically different from those years when he would simply let his words "fly".



Yesterday's reading from James reminded us of the power of our words.

I suppose it is purely human to blurt things out. Of all God's creatures, we are the ones with the capacity to make sounds that can communicate meaning so specific that it has a sharp and cutting edge to it. Unlike other animals whose sounds communicate something "general" (like a territorial call, a mating call or a sound of alarm) our words have a capacity to be precise in their impact. They can pierce the peace and wholeness of individuals as well as assemblies. They can also lift up the heart and soul of somebody who is yearning for a simple word of love and encouragement.

No wonder scripture tells us to be mindful of that most powerful member of our body...the tongue. No wonder we pray "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my hearat be acceptable to you, O Lord." (Psalm 19:14)