From the Friars: By Your Words You Will be Condemned
The Bible and Church Teaching have much to say about the right use of our gift of speech. Our Lord Himself said: “on the day of judgement men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Mt 12:36-37)
There has been much media attention recently to comments made by President Trump regarding the ongoing war in Iran. On April 7th he posted on social media: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. … God Bless the Great People of Iran!” Even if the threat is understood as an exaggeration in order to extract concessions, such speech cannot be justified. The moral law is not suspended in war. It is gravely evil to intentionally kill civilians, let alone destroy a whole civilization.
Apart from political bickering, this controversy can be an occasion for all of us to examine our speech. Fierce public discourse and the prevalence of offensive language in the culture are symptoms of drifting away from God. Our ability to speak is an important part of being a creature in the image and likeness of God. Controlling the tongue is one of the most difficult but essential things in the spiritual life. St. James is especially strong in his letter about the need to bridle the tongue which he calls a fire adding, “how great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!” (Jas 3:5)
The Palisades Fire, by CAL FIRE_Official – Public Domain, Link
We all have memories of words that have hurt us or built us up. I remember vividly when my High School football coach called me a name that I cannot repeat. It still stings 50 years later. Jesus tells us that whoever calls his brother a fool will be liable to the hell of fire. (Mt 5:22) And St. Paul teaches: “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying…” (Eph 4:29)
If we are to evangelize others as Jesus commands us, we must first preach by example, including virtuous speech. Let us speak the truth in love. (Eph 4:15)
Pax et Bonum.
Fr. Peter