The Word Became

Mama repeated five words to me, often. Why? When I was a teenager, I argued. She countered with parental wisdom. I resisted. Until finally, she gave me that look and ceased the debate with five dreaded words, “Not another word, Janice Dawn!”

Sometimes I feel buried in words, including my own. Recently, I envisioned tongue-tied as a gift. Like a ribbon wrapped around my tongue, this tough- to- tame- beast. My grandmother nudged me to think before speaking, reciting words from a poem, “Boys flying kites haul in their white-winged birds. You can’t do that when you’re flying words.”

Today I read words from Frederick Buechner, “In Hebrew the term DABAR means both WORD and DEED. Thus to say something is to do something. ‘I love you.’ ‘I hate you.’ ‘I forgive you.’ ‘I am afraid of you.’ Who knows what such words do, but whatever it is, it can never be undone. Something that lay hidden in the heart is irrevocably released through speech into time…” Which makes me think deeper about what words can become.

Word’s cause something. Always. God’s Word, the message Jesus lived changes us, if we choose, like the story of JOE in my last blog. John 1:14 states, “THE WORD became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus came and through words and deeds(DABAR) proclaimed, God is with and for us. And Joe believed.

Like Buechner wrote, ” God never seems to weary of trying to get across to us. Word after word God tries in search of the right word…” Then, God risked it all. Eugene Peterson translated John 1:14 in The Message as, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son.” Some days it’s easier to make the leap from a barn in Bethlehem to my backyard and balky self. Still, God doesn’t pull up stakes when I doubt or struggle.

So back to words, especially ours. In our combative climate, how could Christ in our neighborhood make a difference when we gather together this Christmas? Maybe we won’t need to have the last word. Perhaps the better gift comes tongue-tied. Or a look delivers words from long ago,”Not another word, Janice Dawn!”

During these past few years, so much has come between families, within churches and our country. Mama spoke nine words that marked my marriage and still nudges me to higher ground. “Life’s short, never miss a chance to sit close.” So today, I love imagining us wrapping each other in joy, grace, hope, kindness, forgiveness, patient listening and love. Like O Little Town of Bethlehem says.‘How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is given.” And not just that night “when The Word became flesh…” But when we mute ourselves to silence words better left unsaid. And in that stillness create a sacred space where miracles can still happen.

God risked all to come close. Why not us?

Meanwhile, God Jul!

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