He ends with another series of comparisons to show how the words we use can both bless or curse, divide or unite.  The human capacity for speech is unique in this way for it can produce completely opposite types of results, while most everything else in nature can only do one or the other.  As he says, a fig tree can only produce olives or figs, not both; just as a body of water contains either fresh or salt water – not both at the same time.

The whole section reminds me of a creative writing assignment I might have gotten in school.  I think James would have received an A. Clearly, he spent a lot of time contemplating ways to describe the power of speech and the words we choose to say, or not say. An important lesson for any of us at any time, but James is coming at it with a sense of urgency from the perspective of a teacher and specifically a leader and therefore teacher of the faith.

He begins this passage by saying, Not many of you should become teachers…for you know that we who teach will face stricter judgment. (vs. 1) James is talking to his community of faith about the power of what their words, and the way they use them, teach important truths about God. He is impressing upon them the great responsibility they have to choose their words as reflections of the values of their faith.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had occasion to take special notice of words around the building as our PDO Preschool program has been getting ready for the new school year, the first day for children was this past Monday.  The week before included two days of Meet the Teacher and it was a joy to see children with their families coming in to meet their teachers and see their classrooms.  The teachers and staff had clearly been working hard to get everything ready and to make each room and hallway truly welcoming.

(Slide – pics) Preschool will help children start to learn letters and words.  Many areas had creative presentations of the Alphabet.  Throughout all the spaces were inviting displays that included special words and phrases meant to be encouraging and welcoming. (Slide – pics) “Love” “Friends” “Family” “Kindness” to name just a few. Words that are teaching in two ways – as vocabulary and as an example of what we want the children to understand about themselves and each other – that they are loved and valued and that they are in a place where the words we use are meant to help all of them know that.

The way we use words with children is also a principal of our faith.  We see it in every baptismal ceremony.  The parents first promise to teach the faith to their child.   Then the congregation makes promises in recognition that we are part of a community of faith and how we treat each other and speak with one another is central to our faith because it all is part of how we communicate what we believe. Here’s how the congregational vow begins:

Do you, as members of the church of Jesus Christ, promise to guide and nurture the one being baptized, by word and deed…

The words we use have the power to teach important truths about God.  I know that we have many professions represented in our membership – I believe quite a few are teachers, also principals, lawyers, engineers, writers, professors, nurses, doctors, so many others – but when it comes to our faith and being part of the Church – we are all teachers.  When we are together as  community of faith, in worship, during fellowship. helping with dinners, classes, or concerts, we are also teaching what we believe to be true about God – through our deeds and our words.

As I walked through the CE building, I noticed another new display. This one is in the Lower Level outside of the Confirmation Classroom.  (Slide – pic) The center says Everyone has Something to Offer the World and is surrounded by a variety of words, such as Compassion, Forgiveness, Hospitality, Openness.  Each word meant to convey what we believe about God and what we hope to convey about God in the way we treat and speak to one another.  Words we can choose to speak as members of a community that God has created, words that teach what we believe about God and one another.

One thing we know about James’ community is that it was in a time and place in history that was full of economic hardship with its share of social and political division.  In this highly pressurized environment, the people of faith had also gotten caught up in a lot of internal conflict and strife and had begun using their words against one another.  James wanted them to realize that their speech was not only hurtful to each other, it was also, in effect, teaching anyone around them, about God.  In his own way, James is asking them what they want to teach – contention, hostility, and vengeance, or love, forgiveness, and compassion?  They had the power to do either at any time.

So do we.  May we remember that as people of faith, the words we choose teach what we believe about God and one another and may God’s Holy Spirit give us the ability to choose wisely. In the name of our Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. Amen.