The Power of the Tongue

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  My Mom quoted that many times to her children as we grew up.  I tended to be the sensitive type and cruel teasing words did hurt me.  The person who can say with a straight face that words have no power is foolish indeed.  We need to only look around at what is going on in lives today to really appreciate the power of the tongue.  The case of a young man taking his own life because of scorn and ridicule is right up front to demonstrate the power of an uncontrolled mouth.  Someone once said that "The pen is mightier than the sword."  He certainly understood the power of words, written or spoken.  In junior high and high school, young people generally accept that someone will pick on them.  It is, sad to say, a rite of passage, however, today the same smallness and meanness of spirit is carried forth all the way into adulthood.  It seems that the size of ones body does not correctly reflect the level of maturity or integrity of character that they possess.  It is as though we are moving through a society made up of foolishness and cruelty to this day.  Many adults do not act like adults.  They pass on gossip and call it truth.  They make up lies and call them news.  They do whatever they can to destroy the character of any individual who opposes their own personal beliefs. I feel like at times that the inmates have truly taken over the asylum.  They refuse to compromise for the good of this country which belongs to all of us not just a select few.   They determine to destroy what remaining semblance of civility that once existed.  I believe that much of this began during the presidency of Bill Clinton.  A wide spread hatred for this man led those who had the opportunity to engage every effort to degrade and demoralize him.  Years were spent attempting to find some little thing out about this man that would destroy him. Each president after him as been subjected to this same mindless abuse.  Every person has the right to a private life unless what they are involved in is detrimental to the country or places themselves or our nation in danger.  An individual's private life has no relevancy with respect to job performance.  His lifestyle was vitally important to his own family but the rest of us did not need to know about this.  In earlier days, Presidents, I am sure, engaged in some activity that would be viewed as inappropriate.  However, the news media of that time recognized that these topics were not worth being reported.  They did not make front page news and most assuredly did not come to the level of calling for impeachment. The news media of that day followed a code of ethics that I believe no longer exists.  In this day of a twenty-four hour news cycle, it's all about filling up the time.  This is why the same sound bites are played over and over again.  Sad to say many people have been seduced by the lies and have accepted them without question.

Words will detonate within a  life until there remains only rubble.   The danger of a tongue out of control is one that we must realize.  When we run out of words and have told so many lies, eventually people start to believe them.   They can no longer discern the truth.  If it is real at all, it is so clothed in lie after lie that by the time we arrive at it, truth is completely distorted and hardly recognizable.  We must realize certain facts.  People are liars by nature and would much rather lie than tell the truth.  People will lie to protect their own agenda.  People seldom care if the lies hurt anyone as long as what they want is accomplished.  Lies can whip up a society that is seething underneath.  They can incite violence against one another and can bring about the death of innocent individuals.  Words are not just words.  They can be soothing and comforting, joyous and uplifting, or vengeful and a breeding ground for hate.  The Bible says, "Set a watch on my mouth."  This is a prayer that every Christian should pray.  Lord, watch over my mouth and my thoughts.  May my ways be Your ways and help me to live pleasing to You.  We will be judged one day by the great Judge of the heavens for every word that has come out of our mouths and every action of our body.  Nothing can be hidden from Him, who  knows all things, sees all things and is present everywhere and that my friend, is the Real Truth.