The power of word

Thursday 30th July, 2020

I'm a little muddled this morning. Although I was able to stream a service from Leigh on Sea in Norfolk for a few minutes my iPad or wifi then went peculiar!! I am sure I heard the priest correctly when he said it was the feast day of St Peter Chrysologus who was particularly revered for his preaching. In fact he was known as the golden tongued. I tried to look him up via Google but the technology ( or my handling of it ) failed. Whatever the phrase ' the golden tongued' sparked a series of thoughts.

I received last evening a really very moving, generous and powerful email from someone I hold in high esteem and love: a young, courageous, remarkable, sparky and special woman. Her words really did help to transform what had been a depressive mindset in to a more positive and joyous one. Her email, her words were heart warming.

Her Mother had sent me a really exciting looking book 'The Compassionate Mind' by Paul Gilbert, also that evening. I read the Introduction, sought out reviews ( the iPad was more compliant last evening) and this morning read the first Chapter. It seems to be mind blowing. I will need to concentrate and get back to some 'hard work' ( the book's phrase ).

Compassion can transform our minds, our lives. We are beings who have evolved over millions of years and are wired in particular ways. To re-route the wiring is the purpose of the training and practice in compassion. I have much good work to do ahead and the rest of my years can be the laboratory of my search and training. I must not give up. Gilbert tells one to have courage and my young email friend will be an inspiration there.

All of this has made me look to the power of the word, language. As TS Eliot noted words are fickle and emphasis, context, use can change their meaning and power. They are fallible, adaptable and 'twist and turn'. Just look at these two sentences: 'I love you' and 'I love ice cream'. The word love has almost an infinite number of connotations and meanings and related actions.

The importance of words revealing a plenitude of emotions, realities, ideas etc is, for me, especially summed up in the fact that John the Divine called Jesus ' the Word made flesh'. God spoke ( revealed Himself ) in Jesus. Look how we have interpreted Jesus. Look how we have used Him and God to kill, to justify Crusades and wars, to control, abuse and manipulate, to enhance ourselves and our egos, to grow rich and powerful. Words can do that: they can build up or break down, they can lie or tell the truth, whatever they are powerful.

Benedictines know the dire warning of their founder. The tongue can be, is the source, spokesperson of evil. Silence is of huge value yet we must use words if we want to show love, pursue justice and right wrongs. The 'golden tongued' when preaching love is unparalleled and when preaching evil or inciting hatred is equally unparalleled.

The email I received helped heal me, yet I know the trolls on the internet who have caused fear, hate and even suicide. We have a choice...how to use words and we do not need an iPad or wifi to make that choice.