Lord of all things, whose wondrous gifts to us
Include the shining symbols known as words,
Grant that we may use their mighty power
Only for God. Help us pass on
Small fragments of Your wisdom, truth and love,
Teach us to touch the unseen, lonely heart
With laughter, or the quick release of tears.
Let us portray the courage that endures
Defiant in the face of pain or death;
The kindness and gentleness of those
Who fight against the anger of the world;
The beauty hidden in the smallest things;
The mystery, the wonder of it all….
Open our ears, our eyes; unlock our hearts.
Speak through our work, Lord, if it be Your Will. Amen.
from A Touch of Wonder by Arthur Gordeon, copyright 1974, Fleming H. Revell Publishing
I came across this prayer (for 2019) saved in my notes app. I am certain that we have all heard someone say, “words have power“. It is also highly likely that you have uttered this saying -or a version of it- yourself. With this in mind, I’ll assume a common agreement that we believe that words do have power. That we agree that the old adage*, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” can no longer (if it ever was) be accepted as true. That we accept that our words can, and do, have impact either positively or negatively.
The prayer cited, connects the right use of our power, with faith. I’m certain, however, that you’d agree that with or without a faith base, we need to “use our mighty power” wisely. A need which is not only limited to writers and publishers. A need which is potentially more pertinent and pressing in our current times.
We all have a responsibility to, “watch our lips, watch our lips, what they say.” Especially, with the ease and prevalence with which we can tend to realease our opinions, and conclusions these days; with the added ability to do so with a worldwide audience. This fact alone, necessitates some form of united utterance. Call it prayer, call it positive thought, call it what you want, but may we utter it. Amin.
* ‘Adage’ – a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth.
~ Optional extras:
- Dr Maya Angelou on the Power of Words
- HuffPost, ‘The Power of Spoken Words’
- HuffPost (alt. view), ‘Sticks and Stones…’
- Psychology Today, ‘Words Have Power’
- Suggested meaning/origin and earliest citation of ‘Sticks & Stones adage’