Article: Words Matter

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Last week on Facebook I posted this short (true) story…

Rabbi Abraham Heschel (one of greatest Jewish theologians and mystics of the 20th century) had a conversation with his daughter many, many years ago about creation… “When I build, I build with my blocks. When those men built our house, they used bricks and cement. Why did God create the world with words?”

Rabbi Heschel stroked his long white beard, smiled, and responded, “That’s simple: It was to teach us an important lesson: Just as God created our world with words, our words create worlds, too. So we must use our words very carefully, because kind words create a kind world, but mean words create a mean world.

Think about that for a moment. God spoke the universe into creation, demonstrating the power of God and the power of words.

Rabbi (and scholar) Heschel (whom I admire greatly) reminds his daughter (and us) that words matter. Words that begin as ideas have the power to create. No, not like God speaking physical things into existence. Let me explain. Look around you right now. Everything that was made by a human (houses, cars, computers, phones, etc.) began as an idea. That idea was then articulated (spoken) to others. A plan was made and it was created.

Even more esoteric things began as words. For example, The United States of America. We were born out of the idea that “all people are created equally.” We could debate endlessly whether or not we live up to that ideal, but we certainly can agree that those words matter and they are powerful. Our independence and then subsequently our government is based on words. Words have the power to create new realities.

We should be careful with our words because our ideas have the possibility of becoming someone else’s reality. Especially when we label or call someone a name. That may stick on that person like glue for the rest of their lives. Words matter.

The same could be said for the current election cycle we are currently nearing the end of, thank God. Every candidate of every party should understand that their words have power. They may be “just words” to them but they have the possibility of creating new realities in other people. Dangerous words can birth dangerous realities in the future.

With that said, let me remind everyone you that no political party can save you or the country. Only God can do that. That is where I put my trust. God’s words matter more than most to me because it was God who sent his Word (Christ) into the world for our benefit. It is the same Word that died on the cross outside of Jerusalem and uttered in his final breath the most powerful words ever, “It is finished.” (John 19:30). At that moment a new reality was created: Humanity was forgiven and no longer separated from God’s infinite love. Words matter.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

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