Word Fights
Can the tongue be tamed?
We think we disagree on religion or politics – but these are just words, representations of complex ideas.
The same with the word God.
We even argue and debate about whether or not the word God deserves capitalization, which is one of our ways of implying how important or even real the word is to us.
Every argument, every disagreement, every conflict involves words (even if they are just the fighting words we tell ourselves in our heads) — which stand for physically identifiable things — like food, money and borders; as well as mental constructs like law, liberty, food, money and borders.
We think we are on the right side of all our arguments, which provides us justification to fight with conviction – or secretly, we know we are fighting to take something that doesn’t belong to us.
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
James 3:7-10 (ESV)
Now, one of my favorite skits of all time.
