a word moment

I found this painting at draw near to god dot com. (Go to the HeARTS Gallery) It is by a wonderful prophetic worship artist by the name of Gwen Meharg. I believe that she paints on the canvas, during worship, what she sees and feels the Holy Spirit showing her through the proclamation of the word or the reading of the scriptures. On her website you can find many many wonderful works of art and the artists own explanation of the art and the vision that she had when she created it.

The text last week was Jesus and Peter walking on the water and I discovered this website while looking for a picture for last week’s bulletin cover. Monday morning I was showing Wanda my discovery and we spent some time looking at all of the prophetic paintings and reading the artist’s descriptions of them and the scripture or message that inspired them.

After looking at those paintings of visions and so forth I turned to the lectionary readings for the day and as I often do began to read them out loud to Wanda. I soon came to these words, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person...” (Matt. 15:18-20 NRSV)

After reading those words I turned to Wanda and said, “You won’t believe what I just saw.” She said, “Me too.” “I wish I could paint it,” I said. She asked, “Arrows?” I said, “Knives and daggers” We both said, “Yes.”

What we both saw in our mind's eye were word daggers; words coming from the mouth of an individual and piercing the hearts of everyone who was standing near them. In that moment our hearts were broken at the thought of what we do to one another – or have the potential to do to one another – every time we open our mouths.

Remember this playground rhyme? “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me!” How about this one, do you remember it? “I’m rubber. You’re glue. Whatever you say, bounces off me and sticks to you!” Have you found either of those statements to be true in your life? I haven’t. Words can hurt me.

It’s back to school time. There is sometimes no crueler place in the world than our schools and playgrounds. Think back if you can – or if you want to – to your childhood. For some of you that time is now. Remember growing up and you’ll remember, words did hurt and still do.

We've all heard this saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” A sword in the hands of someone who means harm can do much damage, words are no different, words can kill. Take the word sword itself. Move the letter “s” from the beginning of sword to the end and what do you have…words.

A person who is skilled with words and is passionate about a subject can tell you a story and make you feel as if you are there. They could describe to you the sound of horses hooves galloping across an open meadow in a way that you can hear them too. They can tell you about the sound and taste of water from a cold mountain stream in a way that you feel as if you took a drink from it.

We share with each other about life's journey, our joys and sorrows, so that we can relate to one another. What I say affects how you feel. What you say affects how I feel. And just as words can take us around the world to experience magnificent mountain tops and river valleys, words can also bring us extreme pain.

Words that cause pain are called what? A"knife through the heart.” Some words make us feel as if we have been "kicked in the gut." A word of kindness or praise is a "ray of sunshine." If you talk trash about my Dallas Cowboys or my mama, "Them's Fightin' Words."

Ivan Pavlov was a Nobel Prize winning physiologist, psychologist, and physician. Pavlov said, "Man is more influenced by language than by the facts of surrounding reality."

In other words we can look at the facts of a situation and see with our own eyes; I am not lazy, I am not stupid, I am not unattractive, I am not whatever negative thing someone might say about me - but we will be influenced more by what someone says is the truth rather than what we can see is the truth with our own eyes.

Napolean said, "We govern men with words." Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote, "Words — so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become, in the hands of one who knows how to combine them!"

Jesus said, “…it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.”

It's back to school time in my small communities. In many ways our schools have turned into battle grounds. We want to think that our small schools are immune to some of the problems of the larger communities and maybe they are...I have my doubts. I know they are not immune to many of them. They are not immune to hatred, teasing, bigotry, racism, sexism and many other abuses that are expressed in the form of hurtful words.

Words can cause us to roar with laughter, break down into tears, fly into a rage, sink into depression, or float on cloud nine. Pretty strong stuff.

Do words do more than just describe situations and events? Do words actually have an affect on our future? Is it possible that what I am today is the result of the words I or others have used in the past? Or could it be that what I will become and experience tomorrow, depends on the words I use today.

Paul said to the Corinthians, “When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly.”

To the Romans he said, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”

Luke said, “Bless those who curse you.”

We can speak curses into our own lives and the lives of those around us OR we can speak blessings into our lives and the lives of those around us.

The author of James has this to say about our tongues: "With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so." (James 3:9-10 NRSV)

Jesus said, "I tell you, on the day of judgement you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:34b-37 NRSV)

Words; more than just entries in a dictionary – there is life in them and there is death in them.

Sticks and stones may break my bones – but they will heal – words can curse me or bless me forever.