Words have power. We discover this axiom at a very young age. Perhaps at the schoolyard during recess when someone taunts us or when we’re the taunter. We discover very quickly words can cut, wound, and be used as effectively and ruthlessly as a sword can be.
Inversely, we discover, also around the same time, that, in addition to the wounding power of words, words can be used to heal, comfort and dispense hope.
And somewhere in that gaping chasm between hurt and hope, words have the power to do everything imaginable. They can instruct, spark wars, build (and destroy) bridges, proclaim truth, spread lies, and even create the world as the Bible records God did in Genesis. “And God said…” begins many of the verses in Genesis’ first chapter. The book of Proverbs lists many verses that have to do with the importance of careful speaking. An example can be found in Proverbs 12:18, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” The Bible is continually referred to as God’s Word, and even Jesus Christ is referred to as the Word (see John 1).
It always fascinates me during an election year to see how words are being used. Candidates usually start taking the high road, but then usually the whole thing devolves to mudslinging, shooting barbs back and forth at each other. What’s surprised me about this election year is, of course, the protracted battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic candidate nomination. Both of these people are vying for a historic record: the first African-American or the first woman president. This should have been a wonderful opportunity for celebration as America had finally moved on, moving past the ugly monsters of racism and sexism.
It started off well for both parties, but now it’s grown into an ugly, bitter rivalry that has a lot of people turned off from the Democratic side in a year where political pundits say the Republicans should have been an easy target and an easy defeat due to the unpopularity of President Bush.
Obama came under fire for being a member of a Chicago church led by Reverend Jeremiah Wright whose anti-American, anti-government rhetoric has been very inflammatory. Obama has had to distance himself from his pastor of twenty years because of his pastor’s poor choice of words, but many people are questioning if Obama, since he was a member of that church for so long, believes and even quietly accepts Reverend Wright’s rhetoric.
Clinton has repeatedly been caught lying about her previous experiences. After being confronted, she chalked it up to “misspeaking.” Last Friday, when asked why she was still campaigning when Obama has seemingly wrapped it all up, she reminded people that Bill, her husband, had not wrapped up his nomination until June of that year. And then, in a stunning example of poorly chosen words, she added, “We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California.” Of course, referencing RFK’s June 1968 assassination and implying that the same thing could happen to Obama set off a massive furor. Many commentators blasted her for her statement, saying that she might as well have given someone who has a prejudice against blacks the idea to do so. She has since then apologized for saying that, complaining that her statement was taken out of context.
Words. Many people – not just Obama and Clinton (or John McCain or anybody else) – along the way of becoming an adult sometimes forget the power of words until something like a misspoken statement or something said off-the-cuff comes back and haunts them. Until we learn and practice the truth spoken in Proverbs 21:23 (“He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.”), we will never be able to rise up and move past the ugly monsters and the icky “-isms” that are continually on our feet and tongues.
Word up.
Barack ObamaBibleHillary ClintonProverbstongueWordwords
Rhetorical Rhetoric
May 29, 2008
Calvary
Comments Off on Rhetorical Rhetoric
Matt
Words have power. We discover this axiom at a very young age. Perhaps at the schoolyard during recess when someone taunts us or when we’re the taunter. We discover very quickly words can cut, wound, and be used as effectively and ruthlessly as a sword can be.
Inversely, we discover, also around the same time, that, in addition to the wounding power of words, words can be used to heal, comfort and dispense hope.
And somewhere in that gaping chasm between hurt and hope, words have the power to do everything imaginable. They can instruct, spark wars, build (and destroy) bridges, proclaim truth, spread lies, and even create the world as the Bible records God did in Genesis. “And God said…” begins many of the verses in Genesis’ first chapter. The book of Proverbs lists many verses that have to do with the importance of careful speaking. An example can be found in Proverbs 12:18, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” The Bible is continually referred to as God’s Word, and even Jesus Christ is referred to as the Word (see John 1).
It always fascinates me during an election year to see how words are being used. Candidates usually start taking the high road, but then usually the whole thing devolves to mudslinging, shooting barbs back and forth at each other. What’s surprised me about this election year is, of course, the protracted battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic candidate nomination. Both of these people are vying for a historic record: the first African-American or the first woman president. This should have been a wonderful opportunity for celebration as America had finally moved on, moving past the ugly monsters of racism and sexism.
It started off well for both parties, but now it’s grown into an ugly, bitter rivalry that has a lot of people turned off from the Democratic side in a year where political pundits say the Republicans should have been an easy target and an easy defeat due to the unpopularity of President Bush.
Obama came under fire for being a member of a Chicago church led by Reverend Jeremiah Wright whose anti-American, anti-government rhetoric has been very inflammatory. Obama has had to distance himself from his pastor of twenty years because of his pastor’s poor choice of words, but many people are questioning if Obama, since he was a member of that church for so long, believes and even quietly accepts Reverend Wright’s rhetoric.
Clinton has repeatedly been caught lying about her previous experiences. After being confronted, she chalked it up to “misspeaking.” Last Friday, when asked why she was still campaigning when Obama has seemingly wrapped it all up, she reminded people that Bill, her husband, had not wrapped up his nomination until June of that year. And then, in a stunning example of poorly chosen words, she added, “We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California.” Of course, referencing RFK’s June 1968 assassination and implying that the same thing could happen to Obama set off a massive furor. Many commentators blasted her for her statement, saying that she might as well have given someone who has a prejudice against blacks the idea to do so. She has since then apologized for saying that, complaining that her statement was taken out of context.
Words. Many people – not just Obama and Clinton (or John McCain or anybody else) – along the way of becoming an adult sometimes forget the power of words until something like a misspoken statement or something said off-the-cuff comes back and haunts them. Until we learn and practice the truth spoken in Proverbs 21:23 (“He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.”), we will never be able to rise up and move past the ugly monsters and the icky “-isms” that are continually on our feet and tongues.
Word up.
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Barack ObamaBibleHillary ClintonProverbstongueWordwords