From the Pastor's Pen
Reverend Wes Austin
“Loose Lips Sink Ships”
There are a few of us that can remember that popular phrase from its original context. However most of us remember it as a statement of caution spoken by our parents reminding us that not everything we hear should be repeated. Another phrase that our mothers have told us is that, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” While that statement may be true, in the sense that words will not directly cause broken bones and visible bruises, try making a offensive statement about the mother of a professional football player and see what hurts can result from “loose lips”.
In the past couple of weeks, I have been reminded about how deadly words can be. From my own mouth and from the mouths of others I witnessed first hand, how words may not be able to break bones, but they sure can break hearts. While talking to both the ones who spoke hurtful words and those at whom the destructive linguistic missiles were fired, I have heard the shame of the speaker as well as the anguish of those who have been “sunk.”
There are a few ideas of which I have been reminded, one is that, if we would not want it said about us, even if it’s true, then we should not say it about someone else. Two, we probably should never speak something about a person that we would not say in their presence. Three, if we would not want our children to repeat it then we probably should not say it with or without them present. (And you know that if you say something in a child’s presence they will repeat it at the worst possible moment.) Another truth about hurtful words is that it takes years to repair the damage that a five second slip can cause.
Rev. Richard Lischer, professor at Duke Divinity School, and one of my preaching professors, said in his book, Open Secrets, that as a young Lutheran minister, in a rural Missouri parish, that gossip was actually a positive force in many respects because people were so private about their lives and that there was such a lack of personal communication that gossip was often the only way that he knew about things in the lives of his parishioners that might benefit from his pastoral care.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus is called the “word of God”. John 1:1-5 says, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” If Jesus is the Word of God and Jesus is our model then our words reflect on Jesus. When they are words of healing we reflect the healing ministry of Christ. When our words are venomous, then they are poisonous to the work of Christ in the world. Jesus most certainly had some unkind things to say about those who were working against him. But his words were motivated by his concern for the way their conduct would mislead or hurt others, and for the state of their souls. Also, he never condemned them, rather he corrected their behavior.
It is the motivation behind our words that makes the difference. If something is said out of love, even if it critical then it can be understood as being helpful and not destructive. Conversely, if words are spoken out of a desire for revenge, they will still be taken negatively, and sarcastic no matter what. If words are spoken about a third person not present (gossip) that is generated out of a genuine concern for that person’s well being, then we will care enough to not say things that are harmful.
“My mother and Gomer Pyle used to say that, if you don’t have something nice to say about a person then do not say anything at all.” While the first two statements are somewhat true, I believe that Gomer and my mom understood that sometimes the best possible thing to say is nothing at all.
May God use our hearts and our mouths as instruments of His peace, and may God keep us from allowing the devil to use them as weapons of destruction.
Always remember that God loves you!
Wes
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