Growing up, I was taught to watch my mouth. Cussing was especially prohibited. There were lots and lots of words that I was
not allowed to say. One time, I ventured
into some verbal country that was restricted.
In response, my mom washed my mouth out with soap. For our younger readers, this meant my mom
put a bar of soap into my mouth and made me rub it around until it started to
create suds.
Of course, this tastes awful! Even after rinsing your mouth out with water
afterward, you can still taste the soap for a while. It is considered harmful today and I am not advocating this as a disciplinary method (just to be clear).
Of course, I professed my innocence! I was being subjected to an injustice! I didn’t even know that word was bad – I was
just trying it out!
Except that this was not true. While I wasn’t 100% sure the word in question
was on the naughty list, I was probably 90% sure. I was pushing my luck.
Later when I was in college, I went through a profanity
phase. It was my little rebellion as I
was trying to figure out who I was as an adult.
I can remember offending other students in my classes. They must have been too sensitive! I was just toughening them up! My intrusion on their ears was actually good
for them, you see.
Essentially, I was putting my own desires (I can talk any
way that pleases me) above the common good.
There was no personal responsibility to check myself or to make sure I
was not harming someone else.
At the time, I wouldn’t have considered myself guilty of
anything wrong.
Except that I never spoke that way to my parents or
grandparents.
So there was some semblance of knowledge of right and wrong or
I would have trod over their feelings as well.
Eventually, I matured and realized that words hold power and some words
have the power to offend or hurt. I (mostly) try
to use my language to help and heal now which sometimes works and sometimes
doesn’t.
As Paul writes to the church at Philippi in Sunday’s
epistle, he wishes for them that their love would overflow with knowledge and
insight that would lead to discernment toward the correct action. In this way, they will be blameless.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be blameless?
To have a “Get out of jail free” card?
In today’s society, it sometimes feels like we are moving away from personal
responsibility and replacing it with the outright denial of guilt. If you are wrong, just don’t ever admit it.
Except somewhere inside you know.
This Sunday, we will look at Paul’s encounters with the
church at Philippi. These certainly
influenced his letter and how they read it.
As we prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas, “doing no harm” would
certainly keep us from blame better than outright denial. I hope you’ll join us for worship as we
figure out what to get Jesus for his birthday this year!
In Christ,
Sam
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