The Power of Words

Words are powerful. Since we were kids, we have been told that sticks and stones may break our bones, but words can never hurt us. As we grew up, we learned that that was untrue, and words could indeed cut us deeper than the sharpest sticks, and bludgeon us worse than stones. However, the analogy carries further: words can, like sticks and stones, be used to build or destroy.

Words are formative. Words define a society. Words are necessary to communicate meaningful ideas and expectations between people. Thus, Deuteronomy begins, "these are the words..." Moses spends almost all of the book speaking, reviewing, and outlining the expectations God has for the people of Israel. As Dr. Reid mentioned in class, the words in Deuteronomy defined and effectively created the society of Israel.

This reminded me that Deuteronomy began much the same way that Genesis did: someone speaks, and things are changed forever. In Genesis, God speaks, and the experiment that is creation came into being. Words are of tremendous importance.

In the Gospel of John, the logos, or Word, puts on flesh and redefines society. More generally, all of the gospels utilize language and the teachings of Jesus Christ, framed by his messianic life, to redefine or clarify the expectations of hopes of God for his people.

There is power in words. More power than sticks and stones.