The Tongue is Mightier than the Sword

Have you ever thought about the positive and negative views others hold about your racial group & how that’s impacted your life? In a small group study at our church called “Multi-ethnic conversations,” a diverse group of persons pondered that very question. The purpose of “multi-ethnic conversations” is to provide an opportunity for people to grow in their understanding of the biblical mandate for the multiethnic church, while gaining practical insight for living and working with people in meaningful ways, even in the midst of those things that often seek to divide us.

In a recent session, participants were asked: “What are things that you have heard said about people who look like you, that if they were NEVER said again, it would be too soon?  The responses were eye opening! We heard things such as: white people in rural areas are rednecks….black people are less intelligent …Hispanic people are illegals. These responses are examples of stereotypes: characterizations of groups of people based on limited, partial and often “distant” information. The problem with stereotypes is not only that they are untrue but that they are incomplete. In the words of Chiamanda Adichi: “They make one story about a group of people become the only story.”

There is an old saying that many of us know: “Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will never hurt us.” Funny saying – but little to no truth in it!  Words affect people in profound ways. Why? Consider where our words originate from: the most beautiful AND the most profane come from the same place: the deep recesses of the heart. The Word of God says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Words we speak, whether outwardly in public, in the privacy of our own homes or in the “virtual” world (think Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, email, texting etc.) become the basis for our actions. And if we’re honest, they can also become the “encouragement” for other people’s words and actions. The events that happened in Christ Church, New Zealand, Charleston, South Carolina and countless other places didn’t begin on the day of those tragedies. But we can be left thinking there’s nothing we can personally do to prevent such incidents. This is also not true.

If you want to create a different kind of community or even United States than the one you see today, ask yourself: How am I using my words to build people up and to reject hate and speech that stereotypes or falsely categorizes groups of people? In what ways am I courageously speaking up to help those around me reframe or revise their thoughts so they don’t potentially become destructive actions –  or worse yet, lead others down that path. Every one of us is called to be that type of instrumental change.