“Poets, priests and politicians have words to thank for their positions”. So sang the British rock group The Police in one of their songs from 1980, and they were certainly correct. Words have power – power to stir the soul, to move a man or woman to action, to build someone up or tear them down, to create followers or enemies. As a member of the aforementioned group, I am keenly aware of the role that words play in my ministry efforts, and therefore I take great care when preparing my sermons for Sunday and also when putting together these posts every week. Words do matter.
Yet as I think about our changing community and the need to keep some of the key facets of our culture thriving, the inadequacy of words alone to keep us together is glaringly obvious. It is when words are paired with action that the true impact is felt. My words become more credible when my behavior aligns with those words, letting people know that I at least believe what I am saying. If I want people to believe that the cultural components that I learned about our community long ago are worth keeping today, people need to see me living out those particular behaviors.
In John 13:35, Jesus says the following: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The point that Jesus was trying to make was that words alone weren’t going to make a difference to those who were watching his followers. Instead, it would be how their daily behavior reflected their love for each other that would tell people that their relationship with Christ really mattered. There was no inconsistency between what Jesus said and what he did, and his love for the world was obvious. Therefore, those who claimed to be his followers would follow his words with their actions, and those actions would proclaim their love – for Jesus and for each other.
In much the same way, how we act as members of our community will demonstrate if we truly love our community or not. If we spend our time gossiping about our neighbors, telling people what others should be doing, and wondering when someone else is going to get around to fixing something, then we haven’t really embraced some of the things that make our island home really special. However, if we are focused on using our words to build each other up, lending a hand to our neighbors when needed, and jumping in to help work on something that needs fixing, we are showing people what really matters to us.
Words do matter, but our actions matter much more. Someone who can’t speak or write can have a much greater impact on our community than the greatest orator or author, simply because love and respect are demonstrated by behavior. If our community is important to you, then do something to tangibly demonstrate it. Ultimately, it is what you do, and not what you say, that has a far greater impact on the world around you.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron