the horrific power of words

James 3:6 - "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

Tonight I started thinking about the horrific power of words, of the perfect impossibility of taking them back, of their instant autonomy upon departing from our mouths, of their fire-like properties.  With the strike of the match against the matchbook, the fire begins.  It starts small, but takes on a life of its own, burning all in its path with a mind of its own.

So often our words start out so small.  They set the whole course of our lives on fire, leading us down a path to which we find ourselves irrevocably committed.  We make promises with our tongues, promises we are entirely unable to keep, promises that mean suffering for those we love the most.  Promises that we can take back only on pain of a broken word.

Our tongues are so sharp.  With our tongues we build ourselves up, tearing down those around us.  With our tongues we construct fortresses of ambition, of pride, and even of fear.  We think ourselves wise, we think ourselves smart, superior, even.  We educate ourselves and use our new found knowledge to remind our acquaintances of their inadequacies.  When our fortresses crumble around our feet, we do not learn.  We build them again.

And we forget that true wisdom is found in humble service, in becoming less, in silence.

We forget the power of silence.  We forget that to listen brings healing.  To listen is to be wise.

We forget that words lack any power for good in this world saturated with empty promises and cutting words.

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" James 2:14-16