Have you ever read a
section from a book, a line from poetry, or heard a lyric in a song that spoke
to your heart?
I have experienced this on
numerous occasions, but most recently two examples stand out. In November of
2022, Benjamin William Hastings released his self-titled album, which I eagerly
awaited. On the day it was released, I listened to his music as I ate lunch.
While I was listening, a particular song caught me off guard and touched a
sensitive place in my life. Hastings’ thoughtfully crafted words unexpectedly moved
me to tears as I sat there finishing the last bites of my meal. With a few
words, the song “Boy on
the Moon” captures the feeling of grief over the loss of loved ones. His music
expressed the sadness I have often felt about the death of my mother but also pointed
me to the goodness of God. Words have power.
My other example comes
from a few weeks after this experience when I studied the poetry of Anne
Bradstreet in my class, Studies in World Literatures. As a Puritan, Bradstreet filled her poetry with profound thoughts about her relationship with the Lord
and her eternal hope. As I read “In Reference to Her Children, 23 June 1659,” I
was greatly affected by the love she had for her children and what she wanted
them to remember when she died. Although Bradstreet knew she was growing older,
she wrote, “My age I will not once lament / But sing, my time so near is spent,
/ And from the top bough take my flight / Into a country beyond sight / Where
old ones instantly grow young / And there with seraphims set song” (507). The
end of her days was drawing near, but she had steadfast hope.
Her reminder of the
beautiful “country beyond sight” encouraged me by reminding me that death is
not the end. The grief and pain of loss do not have the last word in my life. In
Jesus, I will live even though I die (John 11:25). And then I will be home.
Even now, despite hardships and suffering, I can find joy in looking forward to
eternity. Words have power.
Scripture reminds us of the
impact of our words. We have the ability and choice to speak words of
encouragement to others. This is significant news for writers since the words we
write can positively impact the life of another person. However, all people have
opportunities to build others up with their words. We never know when the
things we say or write will touch a grieving hard or encourage a disappointed
person.
However, the Bible tells
us that our words have the power of both life and death (Prov. 18:21). Because
of the sinfulness of humankind, too often our words hurt others. As James reminds
us in his epistle, “no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil,
full of deadly poison” (James 3:8, NIV). When we speak thoughtlessly, we cause
damage to others, often in ways we do not expect. The comparison between our
tongue and a spark of fire is fitting, considering the overwhelming destruction
our words can cause, just as a spark starts a forest fire (James 3:5).
We never know how a
single statement or aptly spoken message may touch another person. Just as
Benjamin William Hastings and Anne Bradstreet were able to speak to my heart, our
words can impact others. Throughout each day, we have numerous opportunities to
speak life or death to others. May we choose to use our words to build others
up and point them to Christ.
Words have power.
How will you use them?
Works
Cited
Bradstreet, Anne. “Selections
by Anne Bradstreet.” Familiar Strangers. Edited by Mark Ray Schmidt. Macmillan,
2020, p. 507.
The Bible.
New International Version. Bible Hub, 2022.
Resources
for Further Thought
If you want to listen to “Boy
on the Moon” by Benjamin William Hastings, you can find the song here.
Also, I highly recommend “In
Reference to Her Children, 23 June 1659” by Anne Bradstreet. You
can read her other poetry here.
Furthermore, you can read
more about the impact of writing in one of my earlier blog
posts.
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