It is said that you only have one chance to make a first impression, but what contributes to people forming one? Your haircut? Your walk? Your attire? While all of these things are important, I would suggest that it is our manner of speaking that determines what people think of us. After all, appearances can be deceiving; we may have a bad hair day, or our clothes may be wrinkled from traveling. However, the way we speak to someone reveals a lot about who we are.
Additionally, it is not so much a matter of what we say but rather how we say it. Does our speech convey compassion or sympathy? Do we exude confidence and eloquence? Or are we off-putting, condescending, or critical in our conversations? How we speak about another person says more about our character than anything else. Do we gossip and criticize? Do we make comments that condemn others or point out their faults and failings? In short, at a fundamental level, we demonstrate our love of neighbor by the way we speak about them.
And as today’s parable tells us, our neighbor is everyone. Whether we know them or not, everyone is our brother or sister in Christ. When we speak, do we strive for harmony? Do we try to see the best in others, including those with differing opinions? Our conversations can either bring unity and clarity through a focus on ideas, concepts, solutions, and open collaboration…or they can become occasions for sin through a tendency toward gossip, critique, and simple parroting. In other words, ask yourself: Do I show that I am a child of God by viewing everyone else in the same way?
This week, analyze your speech. Each night, reflect on the conversations you had that day. Were they uplifting and meaningful, or were they critical of others? Did they honor the dignity of the other person, or did the conversation turn into idle chatter? When you spoke, was God’s love proclaimed?
