The Language of Life & Light
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
---John 1:1-4
If language and words were with God (and were God) in the beginning and these words were the life and light of men then it becomes imperative that we learn how to speak the words of this same God. It is clear from this small bit of revelation that words have the power of creation, especially the words of God. God said, "and let there be light," and so it came to be.,
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
---Genesis 1:4
It was His words that separated the light from the dark. It was upon His word that each aspect of creation came to be, And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." - vs 6. "And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so." --vs 9. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." --vs11. And after each command of creation, there was a calling: "And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." --vs 8. "And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good" --vs 10.
Language has always been a powerful factor in creation. And though it is clear that langauges also have the power of life and light it also sometimes has the power of death as seen in curses, and judges orders for execution and even in Jesus's own example of when he cursed the fig tree that bore no fruit. Countless immigrants can tell you of the power of language for their own survival and how language has brought them from the dark into the light. Refugees escaping from countries where they have had no freeedom of religion and speech will testify to the power of language, and the necessity of learning the code of such safe harbors as America, England, Canada and Australia. For them language has meant death in their home countries when they mispoke, and in the countries they have escaped to language has been the key for freedom and a new life. A new light. Richard Lederer speaks about the power of language in his book "The Miracle of language." Richard Wright tells of the transforming power in his own life. As with all creation of language, some form of death must follow.
When the light was created by God's word, the days of darkness was numbered. Where before only darkness was on the face of the deep, now the dark was separated from the light. For those refugees who find freedom, tyranny meets it's end. Language, when used for light and life - has the affect of destroying darkness and death. Therefore, we must decide just how we will wield the sword of the spirit- the word. And this involved the tongue and the heart, and the spirit of God for those who claim to be Christians.
When we speak from our flesh, and our pride we speak death and darkness. Sometimes it is in our silence that we speak light and life. Jesus said in John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. " 1 Peter 3:10 For "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile;" Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Even Jesus chose silence in some instance as he was lead by the spirit. The language of Christianity is sometimes bold and brash, and sometimes silence - each instance guided differently by the spirit.
Matthew 27:12 When Jesus was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" 14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. The language of silence was leading to death, and this death leading to new words of life, such as words of forgiveness, 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do," and words of love, "John, this is your mother, mother, this is your son."
With every word we have the choice of life or death. The linguistics of Judeo-Christian tradition are consumated with words of life and words of death. Moses had that same choice. To curse and speak death, or to bless and choose life.
Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
So, we must learn how it is that we speak life. The words of life, the timing of life, the spirit lead words of life. That is the goal of this research and study in language. That we may more deeply realize that the medium is the message as Hirsch speaks in his book, "The Shaping of Things to Come."
May we be blessed as we study the beauty of language: the language and words that create life and light, the beauty of language that divided the darkness in two and brings healing and peace.
Amen.
---John 1:1-4
If language and words were with God (and were God) in the beginning and these words were the life and light of men then it becomes imperative that we learn how to speak the words of this same God. It is clear from this small bit of revelation that words have the power of creation, especially the words of God. God said, "and let there be light," and so it came to be.,
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
---Genesis 1:4
It was His words that separated the light from the dark. It was upon His word that each aspect of creation came to be, And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." - vs 6. "And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so." --vs 9. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." --vs11. And after each command of creation, there was a calling: "And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." --vs 8. "And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good" --vs 10.
Language has always been a powerful factor in creation. And though it is clear that langauges also have the power of life and light it also sometimes has the power of death as seen in curses, and judges orders for execution and even in Jesus's own example of when he cursed the fig tree that bore no fruit. Countless immigrants can tell you of the power of language for their own survival and how language has brought them from the dark into the light. Refugees escaping from countries where they have had no freeedom of religion and speech will testify to the power of language, and the necessity of learning the code of such safe harbors as America, England, Canada and Australia. For them language has meant death in their home countries when they mispoke, and in the countries they have escaped to language has been the key for freedom and a new life. A new light. Richard Lederer speaks about the power of language in his book "The Miracle of language." Richard Wright tells of the transforming power in his own life. As with all creation of language, some form of death must follow.
When the light was created by God's word, the days of darkness was numbered. Where before only darkness was on the face of the deep, now the dark was separated from the light. For those refugees who find freedom, tyranny meets it's end. Language, when used for light and life - has the affect of destroying darkness and death. Therefore, we must decide just how we will wield the sword of the spirit- the word. And this involved the tongue and the heart, and the spirit of God for those who claim to be Christians.
When we speak from our flesh, and our pride we speak death and darkness. Sometimes it is in our silence that we speak light and life. Jesus said in John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. " 1 Peter 3:10 For "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile;" Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Even Jesus chose silence in some instance as he was lead by the spirit. The language of Christianity is sometimes bold and brash, and sometimes silence - each instance guided differently by the spirit.
Matthew 27:12 When Jesus was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" 14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. The language of silence was leading to death, and this death leading to new words of life, such as words of forgiveness, 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do," and words of love, "John, this is your mother, mother, this is your son."
With every word we have the choice of life or death. The linguistics of Judeo-Christian tradition are consumated with words of life and words of death. Moses had that same choice. To curse and speak death, or to bless and choose life.
Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
So, we must learn how it is that we speak life. The words of life, the timing of life, the spirit lead words of life. That is the goal of this research and study in language. That we may more deeply realize that the medium is the message as Hirsch speaks in his book, "The Shaping of Things to Come."
May we be blessed as we study the beauty of language: the language and words that create life and light, the beauty of language that divided the darkness in two and brings healing and peace.
Amen.
posted by friend at 8:52 PM
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