>oh my word(s)!

>I have just finished reviewing a couple of books for a Christian magazine. It was great to be able to read two books on the same subject while keeping my brain alert so I could give a fair review. However, the problem came when writing the review that I thought one book was better than the other


I have been honest and, I hope, fair in my evaluation of the books  However I was very conscious of my responsibility to both the readers who may be influenced by my review  in their decision about whether or not to buy the books, and the authors who clearly put a lot of effort into the books regardless of what I think of them.


Words are incredibly powerful things and can influence, injure, inspire and incapacitate people. They should all come with a public health warning! My parents used to say to me, “Engage brain before opening mouth.” I used to think they were being silly. Now I realise the wisdom of those well-chosen words. Once the words have left our lips they are out there and can not be recovered.


James has a lot to say about the words we choose to use in chapter 3 of his letter in the New Testament:

 ³When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The 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.
 ⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
 ⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. ¹¹Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹²My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.


Hmmmmm. **brain being engaged**


A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon.” How do you know what to say?” he asked.
       
“God tells me.”
      
“Oh,” said the boy, impressed. Then he added, “So why do you keep crossing things out?”