It is interesting to me how people get so caught up on words. I more than many was guilty of this myself. We get caught up on saying “I love you”, “I’m sorry”, “please” and “thank you”. We take classes to be more articulate and classes to expand our vocabulary. Our nation alone has been affected by such phrases as, “We the people…” and “I have a dream…”.
However, when I thought about it, when I dug deep in my soul I find that words are nothing but just that…words. Yes, words can inspire, tear down and move people in ways that are profound. But behind the words there is a message, an idea and a plan.
Now, think back to the Civil Rights Movement…let’s imagine ourselves standing in front of Dr. King as he begins to lay out his dream, the idea of a generation 200 years in the making. How about being in a small room in Philadelphia with our founding fathers, contemplating how to rid ourselves of the British. For giggles lets just say in both cases there are discussions on how they can change this nation, but there is never a shot fired. There is no rioting, no boycotts and no revolution. Our nation continues to debate and question and we get caught up on the words spoken but never join in the struggle. Where would we be today if the speech was just a speech and Dr. King never marched or moved forward with his dream and with the hopes of an entire generation? Or where would we be if our nation didn’t rise up against the British and we never became the United States of America?
I say all of that to simply say this, great men…great people are more than just words, they are action. Too many times have I seen preachers, pastors, deacons and others just read the Word of God. They study the words, and debate them in length, but never practice them. If you read any religious text you realize that we aren’t supposed to get caught up on the words, we are called to live by example. Christ told his disciples to “GO!”, to go out into this world and teach. Once they reached a certain point it wasn’t about listening to Christ talk all day, it was about living out what they learned! The exact same is true for Buddha, he never wanted people to be stuck talking, debating or contemplating his teachings. Just read, absorb the ideas inside you and move on.
So remember this, the next time you read a passage. Do not dwell on hidden meanings or the words themselves. Look to see how you can apply this to your life and continue on. You would be wise to share your discovery by the actions you take and the love you show rather than the words you speak.
However, when I thought about it, when I dug deep in my soul I find that words are nothing but just that…words. Yes, words can inspire, tear down and move people in ways that are profound. But behind the words there is a message, an idea and a plan.
Now, think back to the Civil Rights Movement…let’s imagine ourselves standing in front of Dr. King as he begins to lay out his dream, the idea of a generation 200 years in the making. How about being in a small room in Philadelphia with our founding fathers, contemplating how to rid ourselves of the British. For giggles lets just say in both cases there are discussions on how they can change this nation, but there is never a shot fired. There is no rioting, no boycotts and no revolution. Our nation continues to debate and question and we get caught up on the words spoken but never join in the struggle. Where would we be today if the speech was just a speech and Dr. King never marched or moved forward with his dream and with the hopes of an entire generation? Or where would we be if our nation didn’t rise up against the British and we never became the United States of America?
I say all of that to simply say this, great men…great people are more than just words, they are action. Too many times have I seen preachers, pastors, deacons and others just read the Word of God. They study the words, and debate them in length, but never practice them. If you read any religious text you realize that we aren’t supposed to get caught up on the words, we are called to live by example. Christ told his disciples to “GO!”, to go out into this world and teach. Once they reached a certain point it wasn’t about listening to Christ talk all day, it was about living out what they learned! The exact same is true for Buddha, he never wanted people to be stuck talking, debating or contemplating his teachings. Just read, absorb the ideas inside you and move on.
So remember this, the next time you read a passage. Do not dwell on hidden meanings or the words themselves. Look to see how you can apply this to your life and continue on. You would be wise to share your discovery by the actions you take and the love you show rather than the words you speak.
