words

I like to speak about Values rather than Beliefs or Doctrines. I sense that our lives are shaped by the Values that we embrace. We may say we believe something, but ultimately our actions and attitudes may not be deeply influenced by that mental "belief". By Values, I am referring to the core fundamentals that actually do shape our lives...

A Value is a lot like an assumption - a Taken-for-Granted - that has been evaluated and considered OK to keep...

One assumption (or belief) which is fairly influential in my thinking is the way in which I understand words, language and interaction: I no longer understand Words as describers of reality. (I used to.) I have come to believe that Words create reality. "Words create Worlds." So, when I write, speak - even better, participate in conversation - Reality is being created, co-created. The God who said "Light" (and there was light) has made us "in his own image". Being made in the image of God is, in my understanding, having this extraordinary ability to speak, and in so doing to create. When we speak we create reality.

The ethical question is of course, what kind of reality am I creating? What kind of world is my language and conversation shaping?

This is an especially challenging (and exciting) question for a poet...

I'm not a poet, but I am a preacher - and I find it humbling and inspiring to think about preaching in this way. Rather than thinking of preaching as prescribing to people how to think or how to live, I choose to see preaching as the act of humbly (hopefully!) using words to create new reality. For example: in a time of despair a preacher's (or a poet's) words could bring about the reality of Hope. For those living in fear and anxiety, words could be used to create space (the real possibility of) for trust and peace.