In his ‘Epilogue’ to “Jesus And The Disinherited”, Dr. Howard Thurman has managed to give critical direction and purpose to life in these words: “When a solitary individual is able to mingle his strength with the forces of history and emerge with a name, a character, a personality, … It means that against the background of anonymity he has emerged articulate… “
In the ‘articulation of faith’ process, one must come to terms with ‘word’. (‘Word’ as I prematurely refer to the familiar ‘New Genesis’ as John’s Gospel proclaims in Chapter 1, verse 1: “In the beginning was the Word…”; but far to early here to take this leap of faith). In coming to terms with WORD, I am intentionally not using a qualifier (THE; etc) in order to speak to all listeners, no matter whether you are within any faith context or not, most specifically, not bound by age. “Word up, hey… fo’ real tho’!”
Young’s Concordance identifies 14 uses of ‘logos’ in Matthew’s Gospel that upon closer look definitively places ‘word’ within the context of faith. First, the reference to the ‘Logos of Jesus’ and it’s power for healing; separate even from his presence— but only by ‘His Word’. The Centurion said, (8:8), you (Jesus) don’t have to come to my house where my sick servant is, just ‘Speak a Word’ of healing…. But he was not the only one who knew about the power of ‘Jesus’ logos’, for Matthew’s 2nd use (8:16) records that many brought their demon possessed loved ones, and by ‘His Logos’…
It is no small thing that ‘logos/word’ is compounded with most every area of life to give definition to how and what we learn to think. Bio-logos, biology, my word, my study, my thinking, my life is in terms of the physical human life; even to be distinguished from zoo-logy. My word could be Psyche-mind, logos, psychology; cardiology; thanatos death-logy; even apart from eulogy.
If I see, talk, think in terms of disease causation and treatment, my word would be aetiology. Anthropology; astrology; demonology threatens the very infrastructure of Christianity. Cynology— doghood, dogkind; dentrology— treehood, treekind. Musicology; mythology; Christology. A list so long that persons are dedicating life study to compilations of logies as a discipline in and of itself. My personal list currently includes 192 logy disciplines that I believe to be crucial knowledge in my understanding and ‘articulation of faith─my Theology!’ It is true: “God Specializes!”
It is the ‘unarticulated life’— (most normally the childhood, adolescence to youth) who allows the use of ‘words’ to provoke violence. One word is spoken. The response to that word is spoken. A series of words are exchanged (most often of the expletive ‘4 letter’ kind) resulting in an eruption of violence. The wisdom saying evolved— “it is not what you are called, it is what you answer to!” You give power or render powerless ‘words’. Even in the Church’s Sunday School and Bible Study classes, (many of which have a hovering threat of violence in any given session,) one’s word is under attack— all while present here in this setting is One Lord, One Faith and One Baptism!
I recall a class discussion in Seminary from the course “Mission of The Church” when Professor George Thomas stated that “there is only one word that has power to move one to immediate action— that word is: GOD. In my persuasion of this, I have very deliberately grown towards hearing a persons ‘word association’ before processing it’s meaning— good, bad or indifferent to my word. So many persons think or try to control another individuals ASSOCIATION to WORDS… “it doesn’t mean that for me!” I cannot, must not invalidate your ‘word’ in order to give validity to mine. “If your word/logos is not received”, Jesus says, not an eruption of violence, “kick the dust off your feet, and move on to the next town!”
“Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.” (Buddha). “Nothing is ‘Impossible’… the word itself says: I’m possible!” (Audrey Hepburn). “Your words have the power to hurt, to heal, open minds, open hearts and change the world. Never forget the responsibility you have over the words you speak.” (Steven Aitchison). “Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder”. (Jalaluddin Rumi). And then there is this saying that is unknown in origin: “But we’re all scared to say the things worth saying.” For me it is Truth, that even the Proclaimers of Truth… are scared, yea, afraid to speak in dying and trying times.
Confusion? Yes! A ball of it! For we live in a world that would take ‘word’ meanings so far beyond the original intent of the word, that violence erupts— everywhere! Calculated distractions from the most important word of life— GOD, in all of it’s wide and varied manifestation.
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