Words, Words, Words…

God morning, Beloveds. As I sit this morning, in prayer and meditation, you are with me. I know for each of us the Graceful unfolding of a beautiful day. May we use the Power of our Word to name it and claim it, and then surrender into the Beauty and Joy that is always available.

What is moving through my heart and mind this morning is the Power of the Word, both spoken and in thought form. In the book of James, chapter 3, verses 9-11 (of the Christian Bible), it says this:

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?

(NIV translation) What is this passage really saying? I believe it is for each of us to determine our own meaning, so sit (if you will) for a moment and reread…ask the Wisdom within…what does this mean specifically to me in my life today? Where might my life benefit from remembering this Spiritual Truth?

Now that you have taken some time with these verses, I would like to share my thoughts and impressions. What might it mean that human beings were made in God’s likeness? In the book of Genesis, it goes further still…Genesis 1:26-27 says that God made humankind in his image and likeness. Through a metaphysical lens, image could be defined as God’s Essence, the invisible Nature of Spirit, which would include Its Intelligence, Its Creative Capacity and Process…the Law or Principle aspect of God. And likeness might be described as God’s Substance, the Love or self-givingness of Spirit, Its volition and ability to choose to move into form. Seen this way, humankind might be described as God’s expression and experience of Itself as self-reflective life. Of course, this opens up a big can of worms! Expressing Itself as freely-choosing beings means that Spirit takes an infinite number of forms, and they might not all look like our image of Goodness.

For the purpose of this discussion, let’s say that words are the tools with which we create our experience of the world…they are the way that we bring God’s Essence into the physical realm. In the second Creation Myth, Genesis 2:19, it is written that God gave mankind the Power of the Word by allowing him to name each and every creature:

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

Here is the key…whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. Back to our metaphysical interpretation…whatever a human being chooses to call anything, THAT becomes its experience. Call it good or bad, hot or cold, dark or light, loving or hateful, and presto change-o! That is what we get to experience!

Words are powerful, creative forces. They can become constructive tools that create Beauty, Joy, Peace, Compassion, Forgiveness, Acceptance, and Unity. Or they can destroy and tear down, creating insults, judgement, doubt, and separation. I believe that God, or Spirit, is a constructive Force, a Loving and Lawful Presence, that only intends Good, and uses everything ultimately for Good. Otherwise, how could evolution occur. (By evolution, I mean the adaptation of form in the direction of greater complexity and unity.) I believe that if we are wise, if we are serious about our own spiritual development and evolution, we will use the amazing Power of the Word for Good, practicing Wisdom, Discernment, and Grace. As we do, we come into greater alignment with Spirit…our walk and our talk become integrated as we embody the Truth of who we came here to be.

Affirmation: Holy One…guide me to remember the importance of my words, both spoken and in thought form – not only what I say, but how I say them. “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight…” (Psalm 19:14)

Have a blessed and beautiful day, walking in God’s ever-present Grace.

Love,