Words are important. Without them our actions lose meaning. And without meaning we cannot live...A word of love can be the greatest act of love. That is because when our words become flesh in our lives and the loves of others, we can change the world.
-Henri Nouwen
No matter how modern we are with technology, with cell phones that have become as complex as computers and cars that drive themselves, words are always going to be important. We may communicate differently: it's not stone tablets or papyrus that we write on, but most likely digital text messages and emails, yet the words are still there. We haven't changed to symbols or pictures, though we do have a variety of shortened words and acronyms (LOL). But words are still used to communicate our message. I just happen to be one who loves words (especially hand-written), so to me, the words we choose to say (or not say), write (or not write) are shaping us all along.
James 3 agrees with that outlook, telling us about taming the tongue and how difficult it is. He reminds us that our words may seem small, but they can produce something huge, and that can be good or bad.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! -James 3.5
We have this gift of words and language. It can be used, as Henri Nouwen wrote, to change the world. So let's be thoughtful about words.
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