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"If anyone considers himself religious and yet
does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives
himself and his religion is worthless." James
1:26.
You may have seen the little Chinese ornament "The Three
Apes". One has hands covering its eyes, another its ears
and the third its mouth. The first says "I am careful
what I look at", the second, "I'm careful what I
listen to" and the third "I'm careful what I say".
Someone asked the question, "What is the most dangerous
thing in the world?" He got many answers but considered
the one, the human tongue, was on the mark. He thought of
its enormous use and effect and how often in small and great
things something said wrought havoc in the lives of people
- the whispered lie spoken as truth, to the crowd pulling
oratory of a Hitler; the baying of the mobs and every use
of the tongue for its multiplicity of purposes. In ancient
England a "scold's bridle" meant that the neck and
head were padlocked and the tongue tied.
There is a story of the Indian prince with a beautiful daughter
who had many suitors. He set a test for them when he had two
statues made and the one who could tell the difference between
them would have his blessing.
There were several failures until one young man took a piece
of straw and put it into the ear of one of them, and immediately
it came out at the mouth. He sought the prince crying, "One
is the figure of a fool; the other of a wise man". He
got the princess.
The danger of the unruly tongue was always recognised.
Leviticus 19:16 warns, "Thou shalt not go up and down
as a talebearer among thy people".
Jesus warned people: "I say unto you that every idle
word that men shall speak, they shall give account in the
day of judgement".
It is claimed that the proverb, "Speech is silver: silence
is golden", appears in every European language. There
are several wise old sayings on the tongue, among them. "There
is no venom like that of the tongue," "The tongue
of idle people is never idle." "Keep one's tongue
between one's teeth," "Done to death by slanderous
tongues".
Principles in Christian speech and practice is love, respect
and tolerance in speech and conduct. James puts it bluntly:
"If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth
not his tongue
this man's religion is vain".
A constant theme in the story of the first Christians is
their insistence on truthfulness, and their high valuation
of sincerity and honesty. Unfortunately from those early days
there is ample evidence of broken relationships among Christians
caused by the misuse and abuse of the tongue in disagreements
that produced division and animosity among them.
There is always the need for Christians to be true to one
another and to think before they speak. There must be a conscious
and deliberate discipline of the tongue. In the life of Jesus
we have examples of when, and when not, to speak. At His trials
He showed the way. He spoke out in His life against the evils
that beset humankind and He was silent when that was necessary.
The duty of the Christian is clear, to use the tongue to
tell people of the love of Jesus for them, and to make it
in what it says on everything that matters to them to speak
plainly, courageously, lovingly as their faith in Christ requires
of them.
Rev. Canon Dr. S.E. Long
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