Words Matter

I watched the press conference this morning with Governor Cuomo, the governor of New York.  They are experiencing very difficult days.  There is a lot of finger pointing going on this morning between Mayor DeBlasio's office, the NBA, and the White House.  Apparently all the NBA players were able to get tested for COVID-19, when many others in the city of New York sit and wait.  Who's to blame?  Depends on who you ask.

And the beat goes on . . .

It was in the midst of this banter that Governor Cuomo spoke with calm, clarity, and decisiveness related to the decisions being made, and why.  It was refreshing to hear someone speak as honestly as possible, with clarity and calm in the midst of a difficult situation.  One of the last things he said in his press conference is we need to be careful with the words and phrases we are using, that we are understood because words matter.

Words matter. 

While trying to answer questions, we find out who we are.  There were two college students interviewed on South Beach in Miami, obviously not complying with the request for social distancing.  When asked why they were doing this, one replied; "It's my spring break!  If I get the Coronavirus, I get the Coronavirus, but it won't stop me from partying."  Another said; "We aren't going to sit around and let Coronavirus ruin our spring break."  Okay?!  I say we put them all on a cruise ship, taking them to their own private island and letting them figure it out on their own; maybe they'll hear what the rest of us are saying.  But I digress.  Words matter.  They put on display what is in our hearts.  Oops.

Words can take us any number of places.  We can choose to build each other up, showing care and concern during a crisis; or we can choose to tear each other down, with the only concern being for ourselves, what we want to say and do.  We can choose to create distance because of our differences, or close the gap choosing to focus on what we have in common.  I had a friend say to me yesterday this has leveled the playing field.  For all that might have divided us in the past, or the way we talk about our differences, this is reminding us all how human, fragile, and similar we are.  The words we use are powerful.

James says the tongue, though small, is as powerful as the rudder of a ship or a horses bit.  We can either put out fires (Governor Cuomo), or emblazon them (Millennial's on South Beach).  Paul’s words in Philippians 4 remind the church that tends to bicker over their differences instead of celebrate what unifies them, that we are to think different than the world does.  To think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy; and to keep on thinking about these things because they shape what we do and say.  There is power in a word.

So today I’ve confessed for the ways my thoughts haven’t lined up with Paul’s instruction on how I should think.  I really don't want to send them to their own private island.  My heart is broken by the insensitivity coming from various corners of our world.  I really do care more than that, and want the words I use to reflect kindness, unity, what is true, good, right and beautiful.  The Spirit, through a press conference and the Word, encouraged me today, helped me to realize again the goodness in the midst of madness.  The power of our words, and the Word.