Matthew 15--The Words You Speak
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Jesus called the crowd to him and said,
“Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
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There is great power in the spoken word. In the beginning, God spoke the word of Creation. In the fulness of time, the word became flesh and dwelt among us.
In most Native traditions the spoken word comes from the breath of life, and so it is sacred. Words spoken in anger--defaming and degrading--tearing down others and eroding trust--don't just hurt others. They mess up our sacred center. Or, as Jesus put it, they defile us.
Sadly, the erosion of trust and lack of respect in our land today is defiling all of us. The best way to re-center your soul is to tell your salvation story. Tell what God has done for you. God has used people to make that story possible for you. Tell them how God has used them to bless you.
When you tell what God has done, it heals you from the inside out. And it just might heal our land.