Words Have Power... Even to Kill?

Some of us remember when Barack Obama went off on an eloquent defense of the power of words to make a difference. It was hard to disagree. We could all see for a moment the profound effect that precise, logically-put truths can have for powerful and positive change.

This past weekend, however, we learned of the power-for-ill that people's lies, uncharitable judgments, wicked fantasizing and vile encouragements can produce as well. These are power strategies, just words, but charged with a creativity that can be as exciting as they are dark AND that in some minds beg to flower.

When he apparently felt God was not doing enough, George Tiller's killer took action. He dared to second-guess God's wisdom, revealing the oldest of all sins... not trusting in God. Quite likely emboldened by years of participation in negative rhetoric, he apparently embraced presumption and the supposed knowledge of good and evil, and reached out to eliminate not evil incarnate, but another human. What he destroyed, was the life of a person who belonged to God. Tiller was a fellow Christian in need of God's grace, a person just like himself. If he detested what he felt to be murder, he became the thing he hated most, a murderer. Satan was laughing, and worse, right there, in church.

Recently, I have seen where some have said the religious right have not denounced this act adequately and others assert that ALL pro-life groups have denounced it and should not be judged for a mad man's act. Whichever is the case, I think everyone, [meaning myself as well,] needs to examine our practices carefully, especially where we are quick to believe the worst, to condemn the motives of others or to advocate harsh solutions... to, as the President said, make caricatures of those who disagree with us.

It is simply because the mad men [and women] are out there - of every stripe - that we need to be careful of what we say. They can be very literal... and when we egg them on, their thinking and their proclivities may harden past the point of moderation. Without the sound of self-righteous cries ringing in their ears, they may not dare to be so bold.

We need to consider that if we willfully rejoice in getting such people hopped up, we may have to live with the shameful consequences of their actions and realize too, the role we will have played in damaging the souls of these avenging angels.

Comments (2)

Angelo Lopez

A great post Jean. Your post is a strong statement on how the freedom of speech comes with great responsibility.

Posted by Angelo Lopez | June 5, 2009 7:58 PM

Posted on June 5, 2009 19:58

bringmehomekathleen

Great post, Jean--everything phrased so delicately and so well.

Thanks, too, for your letter in tonight's Hays Daily. The hate speech on so many fronts has GOT to stop. I don't want to live through another assassination of yet another public figure--there have already been too many in my lifetime.

America, America, God mend thine every flaw.

Posted by bringmehomekathleen | September 9, 2009 11:28 PM

Posted on September 9, 2009 23:28

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