Speech is Powerful

Based on James 3:1-12

Speech is powerful. To have the permission to speak should not be taken lightly. There’s a reason why the first amendment in our bill of rights refers to the right of free speech. To speak is to have influence on the people who hear your voice. When you speak, you are impacting the people that hear you. They may not understand what you are saying. They may not agree with what you are saying. But the words you say still gets in their brains. They are not the same once they have heard what you said. Maybe you have heard this phrase, “You can’t unsay something.” Once it is out there, you can’t take it back. Speech can change views or reinforce views. Speech can stir up emotions or calm people down. Lives can be changed through speech. To speak is to use power.

Speech has the power to inspire. Some speeches have become legendary because of their power to inspire: Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Reagan’s “Morning in America” speech, Kennedy’s Inaugural speech where he said that classic line, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” These and many other speeches we have heard have lifted our hearts, stirred us with pride, opened up our minds to new possibilities, given us confidence and hope for the future. Speech can inspire us.

Speech also has the power to destroy. Speech can stir up hatred, divisiveness, and chaos. It can feed grievances. It can play on our fears. It can cast blame, undermine trust, promote conspiracy theories and propaganda. Speech can rally a mob into a frenzy. We saw what speech can do in Washington, D.C. on January 6. Speech radicalized the terrorists that hijacked planes on Sept. 11, 2001 that led to destruction and incomprehensible loss at so many levels. Speech can inspire us. Speech can bring out the worst in us. Speech is powerful.

Speech also has the power to create. When God created the heavens and the earth, God spoke these things into existence. The language of mathematics can create algo rhythms that are revolutionizing the technology that fills our lives. The language of philosophy creates explanations for how the world works and what is the meaning of life, of why there is something instead of nothing. The language of history creates explanations of what happened in the past and what that might mean, what lessons we can learn from history that we can apply today, or maybe understand what is happening now. As the saying goes, “History doesn’t repeat itself but it does rhyme.” Stories, myths, legends, these are forms of speech that help us name what is true, who we are, who we should be. The speech of poetry stimulates our imagination which can inspire us or simply entertain us. Here’s a fun one from Shel Silverstein:

Peg plugged in her ‘lectric toothbrush,

Mitch plugged in his steel guitar,

Rick plugged in his CD player,

Liz plugged in her VCR.

Mom plugged in her ‘lectric blanket,

Pop plugged in the TV fights,

I plugged in my blower-dryer—

Hey! Who turned out all the lights?

Above all else, speech comes from the heart. What we say reveals something about our hearts.  Speaking from the heart is unavoidable. Even if we are reading out loud the words of someone else, how we say it and why we chose to read those words out loud reveals something about our heart. When we say things that are not true, that try to deceive how we really feel or what is really going on, that reveals our hearts anyway. When we say things that are warm and loving, or when we say something that is hurtful, this all reveals our hearts. As James points out, blessings and curses come out of our mouths, which reveals how our hearts are divided. Our hearts are a combination of love and cruelty, of warmth and coldness. The truth about our divided hearts is revealed by the words that come out of our mouths.

All of us have hearts that have been hurt. Our hearts are wounded and scarred. That’s what life does to us. None of us get through life unscathed. Part of what salvation is about is the healing of the heart. When we confess our trust in Jesus and invite Jesus into our lives, Jesus moves into our hearts. Jesus is the great physician. Jesus works to heal our broken and beaten hearts. It’s not quick. Inviting Jesus into our hearts does not eliminate the hurts that come our way. The healing of our hearts is a life-long process. It takes time to be healed from the damage that has been inflicted on us. Besides the fact that our hearts get hurt all through our lives. We are all in continual need of healing in our hearts.

Because our hearts have been bruised, because the cancer of sin has plagued our hearts, is it any wonder that we sometimes say things we wish we hadn’t said? Is it any wonder that we fail to speak up when we should? If the source of our speech is our heart, and our hearts are beaten and scarred and distorted by sin, it’s no wonder that we sometimes say things that are not pure but are bitter? As James says, fresh water doesn’t come from a bitter source. Especially for those of us, like me, who have a tendency to speak before thinking, the impurity of our hearts can be on full display.

One of the lessons that James gives us throughout this letter is the need for us to focus on the work of healing our hearts. This is what salvation is about. It’s not just fire insurance. It’s not just knowing that you are forgiven or that you will go to heaven when you die. No, salvation is about healing, the healing of the heart. Salvation is about purifying our hearts as the Holy Spirit inhabits and fills our hearts. It is about cleansing our hearts from the impurities that have stained it. There is this classic praise song that goes, “Change my heart, O God; make it ever new. Change my heart, O God; make me be like you.” This is the essence of salvation. And this work of salvation is life-long. It takes a lot of repentance, of humbling yourself, admitting your mistakes and receiving that word that in the name of Jesus Christ you are forgiven. Words of love and forgiveness have the power to heal our hearts.

While we are working on healing our hearts, it is probably best for us to guard our speech. If anything, so we minimize harm. I think we all know the saying we were taught as kids, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a bunch of baloney. Words can hurt. Words can cause a lot of trauma that can leave deep wounds. James shares the consensus of teachers from many cultures and throughout the centuries: that it is always better to listen than to speak. Maybe you have heard this truism: God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Perhaps you remember those E.F. Hutton commercials: Two men are in a posh restaurant talking about the stock market. One of them says to the other, “Who is your broker?” And his friend says, “My broker is E.F. Hutton, and E.F. Hutton says…” And everything goes silent. The waiters, the others in the restaurant, they freeze, close their mouths, and wait to hear because when E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.

Then there are the wise souls. Maybe you have known a few. They rarely speak. And when they do talk, they don’t say much. But what they do say are words that need to be heard. They are words that are thoughtful and just what needs to be said in the moment. To be a person of few words is not a bad thing. So, I think I will stop right here.