Choose Your Weapons

Requested by my sister Mary Jane Tyra...



Exodus 20:16

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

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Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?
Ain't that what you said?

Liar, liar, liar

"Liar" by Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Bob Daisley, and John Sinclair. Recorded by Three Dog Night

It's funny when we talk about weapons. Most of the ancient world thought of swords and such. These days we think of guns and "instruments of Terror." It's funny, the most dangerous weapon anybody wields is their tongue.

A war of words can do more damage and leave more victims than most guns.

That old "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me" thing we learn growing up. We learn to say that only because words do hurt.

Scripture tells us not to bear false witness against our neighbors, so why do we gossip so?

It's seductive, to be in the know, to have a tidbit that only the best connected people have. Whether it's true or not is hardly the point. Having the scoop, that's the point.

A quick and cutting word, a word that belies care, a word not even meant to hurt, just a random hand grenade cast casually aside. Those are the worst, nobody expects those and the collateral damage is devastating.

Ain't that what you said? Liar!

Our hope comes in a few places. One is to resist the lies in the first place. Whether it means to tell them or to listen, don't. It's like any good drug market--when it dries up it disappears.

Second is to be an advocate. Hear a lie, Squelch a lie. Stand up for truth.

Third and final- Remember God has given us a set of rules to live by. It started with one ("Don't eat that"), went to ten, and grew into the mitzvah. Remember to forgive debts against you as we all pray others will forgive our debts against them. And remember, that's scriptural too.

Growing up my parents taught us both "Sticks and stones..." and "Words hurt other people, don't be like that." Maybe if we grow up with the latter knowing the former is really a lie then we'd live in a better world.