I’m sure when some folks see this title, they will assume I am going to be writing about scripture. Probably that is because when they think about their faith, it is always about the Bible. The Bible is the source for what they think and how they want to live. I have no issues with that. I can affirm that Jesus is indeed the Word become human and that via the Spirit, he is still with us. While all this is true for me, I was not thinking about scripture when I typed the words of the title.
Instead, I was thinking about common words---the normal language we all use on a day-to-day basis. No doubt, this is tied to my ongoing intrigue with human communication. Language certainly is a major form of that communication, but language is not the totality of all our communication. We all know that a smile or frown also has a kind of power. The non-verbal communication we all use is fascinating, too. But right now, I want to focus on words.
I am content to focus on single words. No need to drag phrases or whole sentences into this! Also, I don’t claim that all words have power all the time. For sure, we all know when we have said things we don’t really mean. There are instances of casual talk---about the weather, sports or whatever. I use so many words to say nothing. Most of the time, it is harmless, but it is not communication.
Let’s look at two very simple words to begin to make the case: yes and no. There are times when someone told me “no” and I was very disappointed. Think about all the times you really hoped to hear a yes and it did not come. It could be pretty early in life when we wanted something pretty badly and we were told “no.” I remember the times when I was a little guy and wanted to go somewhere with my dad. To hear a “no” felt devastating. Of course, none of those times killed me, but they were bad news for me!
Sometimes we do not get into the college we most wanted to attend or to get a date with the guy we most want to ask us out. Some of us have applied for a job which we dearly wanted only to get the rejection that effectively says “no.” Sometimes there are people in our lives who can help us at the moment. This helps, but it does not alleviate the disappointment. And sadly, there are sometimes and, for many folks all the time, when we suffer the “no” all alone. We are left to our own devices to absorb, process and try to get beyond our disappointment
The power of “no” is real. So far, I have been dealing with it from the perspective of receiving the “no.” Many times, I have been on the other side. Regularly, I deliver that word to a student. I did it more than once as a father. How many times I told one of my daughters “no,” only to watch her eyes sink and, I’m sure, her heart as well. Even when I felt justified in my “no,” it did not take away my own sense that the power of my “no” was an infliction of pain.
There are other words that have power that can do a number on us. For many of us, hearing the word, “cancer,” was a powerful blow. It can cause intense emotional reeling and disorient, if not depress, us for days or longer. To hear a word like that literally can be life changing. To talk about a word like cancer reminds us of many other words that can have powerful effects.
It is easy these days to think of words of prejudice or dismissal. Certainly, there are words describing people of color that I would never use again---recognizing in my ignorant youth, I heard and used words that would embarrass me today. There are other words like “ugly” and “dumb” and so many more that cause heartache for the recipients of these words.
The good news is we can learn not to use these kinds of words. More good news is we can learn to use our words more carefully and constructively. Again, I am not talking about learning big words. I am talking about learning words that can be constructive, creative and community building. For me these can be considered spiritual words, even if they don’t necessarily sound religious. I think this is the kind of language Jesus used.
For example, in the parables, Jesus does not use big theological words. He teaches creatively in simple language and with stories that convince and compel people to change their lives for the better. One powerful word he uses a great deal is “love.” Like so many words, love language can be used quite carelessly. I was always surprised to travel in the South and have the waitress address me as “love!”
However, I invite you to think about the power of love language. If we ever heard that someone “loves” us, that is about as affirming as it can get. I think this is why Jesus preached love and we are told that, in fact, God is love. When Jesus said love, it ultimately led to a “yes.” Yes, you are somebody; yes, you matter; yes, you are included. What good news this is. It is the ultimate good news. We matter and we belong.
That is the power of a word.
Those of us who have read theology or, perhaps, those who are people of faith and are old enough might well recognize this title as a reminder of the late Jewish philosopher and theologian, Martin Buber. I remember reading Buber’s book, I and Thou , when I was in college in the 1960s. It was already a famous book by then. I am not sure I fully understood it, but that would not be the last time I read it. It has been a while since I looked at the book. Buber came up in a conversation with a friend who asked if I had seen the recent article by David Brooks? I had not seen it, but when I was told about it, I knew I would quickly locate and read that piece. I very much like what Brooks decides to write about and what he contributes to societal conversation. I wish more people read him and took him seriously. Brooks’ article focused on the 2016 contentious election. He provocatively suggests, “Read Buber, Not the Polls!” I think Brooks puts
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