Where Words Come From

Compass: A Spiritual Formation Newsletter. April 24

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An intriguing scene in The Journal of John Woolman helps us wonder about the source of words. Woolman, often referred to as "the American saint," played a crucial role in persuading Quakers to abolish slavery within their community prior to the Revolutionary War. Additionally, he felt a profound concern for the mistreatment of Native Americans as European colonists expanded westward from the eastern seaboard. Hearing about a tribal gathering taking place along the upper Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, Woolman traveled from his home in New Jersey to meet with the tribe. During a religious meeting held among the gathered tribal members, Woolman rose to pray. His interpreter stood up to translate Woolman’s language into the native language. But the translator was asked to sit down by Papunehang, the chief, and let the prayer go untranslated. After the meeting, the chief approached Woolman and, through an interpreter, said of the prayer whose English words he had not understood, “I love to feel where words come from.”

In this post, I’m going first to explore the antisemitic words we are hearing on campus and from leaders. Then, I’ll list some simple steps you can take to explore the source of your own words.

Yesterday, I took you with me on a refresher course in one of the most basic rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution: freedom of speech. I needed to brush up on my own understanding of the nuances of this privilege to help me better understand what I have been hearing in protests that are 1) focused on Middle East tension and 2) supporting Hamas terrorism. Here are a few things that seem beyond contradiction:

Words Reveal Wisdom

I had a wise mentor who wrote and spoke often about the power and brilliance of the connecting words, “both…and.” In most cases, he believed they were highly preferred to the separating words, “either…or.” “Both…and” reflect a mature and humane understanding of the flawed world in which we live. Two things that, on the surface, appear to be contradictory can be true at the same time. By contrast, “either…or” reflects a lack of maturity and intellectual honesty that forces you to make unnecessary choices.

It is possible, on the one hand, to be both horrified by Hamas’ slaughter of Israeli citizens on October 7 and defend Israel’s right to exist and defend itself and, at the same time, be a critic of Israel’s treatment of various groups within Israel society and advocate for a more just society in Israel. This is no different than being both bullish and patriotic in your feelings about U. S. ideals, and, at the same time, being critical of its failure to live up to its ideals and advocating for a more just society in the U. S. Dualities like this are the sign of emotional, intellectual, and spiritual maturity.

Pay attention to the words being spoken by political leaders and protesters alike. Words that refuse to condemn hatred, justify brutality, and sweep away human suffering are sectarian words, attempting to convince you to believe only one point of view. At best, the words come from ignorance and lack of emotional and spiritual maturity. At worst, they attempt to indoctrinate and manipulate, thereby lacking honesty and integrity.

Words Can Expose Deceptive Hearts

Sometimes, you must listen carefully to know when words are deceptive. But other times, the deception is impossible to miss. Remember the 2020 summer of protest? Specifically, remember the poor television reporter standing in front of a burning building while the caption on the screen incoherently read, “Fiery but mostly peaceful” protests? During this season of protest, listen carefully to the words of protests, and like Chief Papunehang, seek to understand where words come from. Do they reflect what is actually happening…or what the politician wants to convince you is happening? On Monday, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in a speech in a peaceful forested region, described the protests on the campuses and streets of New York City and other campuses around the U. S. as “peaceful.” She leaned into the word, wanting us to know without doubt that these protests are not harmful, but peaceful. Not “mostly peaceful,” but “peaceful.” No Jewish student or professor or parent would describe the same events as “peaceful.” One does not have to be Jewish to draw the same conclusion. Listen carefully to the spoken words and measure them against the actual events they are describing, but read even more carefully the heart of the speaker of the words.

Words Reveal Hearts of Love or Hatred

Jesus spoke frequently about the way words picture the inner condition of the speaker’s heart. Here are some potent words he spoke about this:

“…what comes out of your mouth is actually coming from your heart…” (Matthew 15:18)

His half-brother, James, devoted an entire chapter to what is revealed by our words in a letter he wrote. Here are two sentences from that chapter:

With [our words]…we curse people who are made in the likeness of God….This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” (James 3)

Listen carefully to the chants and demands of the protesters. You can then judge whether these are words that intend to build civilization and humanity or destroy an entire ethnic group of people.

Once you make that decision, follow the path where it leads. If this were not about a Jewish-Palestinian conflict but were, say, a protest by the Ku Klux Klan calling for the destruction of an entire ethnic group of people, you would immediately be repulsed by the heart of the chanters and protesters. If not, your own heart is being revealed! The trail does not stop there. It leads to the politicians and academic and corporate leaders who have the power to speak forcefully against the hatred that threatens and marginalizes groups of people but refuse to take a stand, look the other way, or try to play both sides of the issue. When you see that, their reactions are as powerful as the chanted, hateful words. Their hearts are also revealed. We now know where their lack of leadership comes from.

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