Word Power

Movie reviewer Phil Boatwright has a piece at the Baptist Press today that offers some good points about the power of words. His piece is appropriately entitled "Word Power." Here are a couple of highlights:

Words, according to England's Lord Chesterfield, are "the dress of thoughts; which should no more be presented in rags, tatters, and dirt, than your person should."

... It's dawning on some that there really is power in language and that we should take care in how we use it.

... But thanks to Mr. Imus, now is the time when we should hold those in the communication fields accountable for how they affect society. And now is the time when we all should take Ephesians 4:29 seriously: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

... But it isn't just words that seem to be affecting the culture. It's the tone behind them. Ever watch those comic news shows on cable? Do the hosts ever open their mouths without spewing cynicism?

Amen! This is a good reminder to us all. Our words are indeed powerful and so we must be very careful what we say, how we say it, when we say it, where we say it, and to whom we say it.