Hey, what’s the word?
I love words. I always have. Any word – long, short, funny, serious, obscure or cliché – words are the fabric around which we humans weave ourselves. Without words, I wouldn’t have a job, rap artists wouldn’t have any way to curse, and politicians would be … mmm… well maybe there would be an up- side to being wordless. Words are perhaps our most wondrous invention – beyond that of fire, even – then, what would we have called the blaze?
I take my words very seriously. When I write a sermon or a Bible lesson, I choose each word very carefully, looking for just the right meaning. I have found that synonyms aren’t always interchangeable, and sometimes you really need a big word to get your meaning across. Preaching is all about words. I consider myself a wordsmith. I use words to convince, convict, amuse, impress (I especially want my audience to be impressed with God and His word, maybe even enough to read it) and to inspire.
Besides meaning, there are some words that just sound better when you say them out loud. Then there are those words that look good in print, but try as we might we cannot pronounce them. I still have problems with linoleum, chrysanthemum and aluminum. I mangle them no matter how slowly I say the words.
Most of all, words have power. If you doubt that, then answer this: Why does name calling among children cause such concern? If “sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me,” is true, then why are we so concerned about political correctness? If names were truly powerless to cause harm, then ethnic jokes would not be taboo. The power of words can be used for both good and evil. People who know words can twist them, combining them with other words to make things sound good, often without really saying anything. Politicians are very good at this. Manipulators use words to trick people into believing whatever they want them to believe.
My point? Wordsmith or not, choose carefully your words. With them we bless or curse. I want mine to bless, how about you?