January 2, 2010
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The Word that builds
“Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” I cannot remember when I learned this little rhyme or who taught it to me but it is one of the most ridiculous things I was ever taught. The wounds I received from sticks or stones have long ago healed while some of the verbal wounds I received have yet to completely heal. I suppose the intent of the poem is encourage children to ignore what their playmates say to them but an unintended consequence may be to teach us that our words cannot hurt. The words that wound us are most often not the ones spoken by the school yard bully; they are the words of a friend or family member. Friends and family members say destructive things to us out of the guise of concern for us. We may also use words to wound others either intentionally or unintentionally. The Bible warns us in many places the destructive nature of the tongue and the need for us to control our tongue. It is very easy to say things that destroy and wound. It is much more difficult for us to find the words that build up and heal.
God wants us to bring the Good News, the Gospel, to the people who are desperate to hear it. The ancient prophets who spoke God’s Word to the people always included the promise of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness. No matter how difficult the time, no matter how bleak the future looks God’s promise is we can go into that future in confidence. We are reminded by John that the Word of God has been present from the beginning. The Word spoke order into the chaos. The Word built the world and all that is in it from the chaos. The Word can do the same with the chaos in our lives. The promise of this Christmas season is that God comes to dwell in us and to bring order to our chaos. We as individuals and as a church can face the future with the confidence that God is in that future.
This is the Good News for us and the Good News we have to tell to others. According to Mark, Jesus told us “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all of creation.” I do not read this to mean we are to go into all the world and tell creation how to shape up. Most of us would agree it is not good news to have someone tell us how we have fallen short or how we are unacceptable. It is good news to hear that God loves us and desires to guide us into a fuller richer life. It is good news when we hear of ways we can grow in our knowledge of God and how we can build stronger foundations of faith. The Word is meant not to destroy or create chaos, the Word is meant to build and heal.
Sometimes we struggle with knowing whether we are hearing the Word of God or some other voice. Unfortunately it isn’t always easy to hear what God is saying to us or to be sure it is God speaking. I can say with certainty if the voice is saying you are not worthy, that you are not acceptable, that there are things about yourself you must change before you are loved by God then you are not hearing the Word of God. God comes to us to build us up not to make us despair. Listen for God to speak to you of God’s love for you, listen for God to encourage you into building the life God has planned for you. You may hear God saying you can do better but never that you are outside of God’s love.
Similarly, if the words you say to someone else tells them they are unacceptable, they are no good, or that they have to be different to be loved by God or by God’s children then you are not speaking Good News. We are called to speak words that build, that make sense out of chaos, and to bring comfort to those who hurt. Amen.
