My focus for this new year is to notice the beauty that is all around me, to let the beauty of God, through his word, influence everything I do.
This past week was anything but beautiful, especially in our nation’s capitol. What should have been a day of debate, maybe even peaceful protests and demonstrations turned into violence, destruction and shame. Many said that it was unlike anything they have seen in America before. But, for a country founded on the principles of free speech, it is easy to see how something like this can happen.
That is the beauty and the curse of allowing a free exchange of ideas. When someone expresses ideas that we agree with, we applaud them for standing up for what is right. When what they say conflicts with our morals or values, we condemn them and want them to remain quiet. We even resent the messenger – the free press, and blame them for spreading outrageous concepts.
Nothing about this is new. The third chapter of the book of James warns us of the power of our tongues, our free speech. “Even so, the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” James 3:5-6 NKJV
I remember learning about free speech in a journalism law class when I was in college. The example used there was that speech in and of itself is not dangerous, unless it incites and provokes action. In other words, yelling “Fire” in a crowded theater will provoke action that can be dangerous, and should not be done unless it is absolutely necessary.
In this day of social media, when we have the power to deliver words to hearers all over the world in a matter of seconds, free speech can be wonderful and terrible at the same time. Free speech can lead to dangerous actions in a matter of minutes.
If you have a minute, read the Third Chapter of James in the Message version of the Bible. It really speaks to our times, telling how quickly words can cause chaos. It concludes with practical advice for us on how we can live as Christians and use our ability to speak freely the way it was intended.
The conclusion, in verses 17 and 18 sums it up well. “Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.”
Amen. God’s beauty shines through.
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