Words Matter

Did you see where Dictionary.com selected their word of the year for 2018?  The word they selected is not new, it’s been around since the 1500s.  The word they selected is not a surprise, because we live in a world where we have learned not to trust everything we hear.  The word is “misinformation,” defined as “false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead.”  

        With the onslaught of social media, millions of people have the ability to share information with large audiences, whether it is credible or not.  It’s so easy to hit “share” or “send.”  It’s not so easy to determine whether what we share is true.  When we pass along misinformation, people can be hurt, careers can be in jeopardy, marriages can be destroyed—even if we are innocent in our motives. 

        The bottom line is that words matter, and words can make all the difference in the world.  We hear so many words today that are demeaning, degrading, and hurtful.  Do our words build up or tear down?  Do they hurt or heal?  Are they redemptive or destructive?

        So many people continue to carry the painful scars from hurtful and cruel words they heard as a child.  When a child hears, “I hate you.”  “You are worthless.”  “I wish you’d never been born.” --this creates a trauma that is often never healed.  But when we affirm our children and speak words of love and respect, when they grow up hearing positive and uplifting words, they have the confidence and positive energy to grow into a productive and successful adult. 

Did you see the movie, “The Help?”  Aibileen serves as “the help” for a white family and cares for little Mae, who often endures her mother’s harsh and unkind words.  But every day Aibileen looks little Mae in the face and says, “You is smart.  You is kind.  You is important.”  Aibileen who often endures degrading words of hatred and discrimination, understands the power of words and the need for little Mae to hear empowering words of encouragement and value. 

        I think about all the words I have communicated through the years.  I’ve been writing my Dispatch column for almost 28 years.  I estimate I’ve written well over 350 columns or somewhere around 250,000 words!   Mercy, that’s a lot of words!   And considering the fact that I’ve been preaching most every Sunday for over 41 years---well, that’s even more words!  

        I hope the great majority of my words have been words of grace, words of hope, words of kindness and love.  I hope that one day when people remember that old preacher from LA (lower Alabama), they will recall that his words lifted people up, gave people confidence and hope, brought people together and left them with a sense of peace. 

Words have great power.  The Genesis story of creation begins with God speaking.  Let there be . . .  It was through God’s word that the heavens and earth were created.  John begins his Gospel with the powerful proclamation:  “In the beginning was the word . . .”  The Word that was in the beginning with God is a word of love, a word of grace, a word of light and a word of life.

        This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent when we light candles of hope as we anticipate the day of celebration when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  John writes, “In him was life and the life was the light of humanity.”  My goal this Advent is to incarnate this living Word in my life so that I may reflect the light of God’s love and grace. 

        May my words speak of kindness and compassion.  May I always strive to lift people up, never to tear people down. May my words lead to reconciliation rather than division.  May I share truth and light through authentic information, rather than spread rumors and darkness through careless misinformation.   Most importantly, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in God’s sight—because, words matter.

An Outsider Drinks the Water and Loves Calling Davidson County Home!

There’s an old legend that says back in the early days of Davidson County there was a well on Washington Square in Lexington.  (I don’t know why we dropped the name “Washington,” but I’m in favor of reclaiming it)  The story goes that if a stranger came to town and drank the water from the well, he would always return to Lexington.

        Almost 30 years ago I came to Lexington and drank the water—I’ve never left!  I love calling Davidson County home, although I am occasionally reminded that I’m really an “outsider.”  Evelyn Harris and I produced a big historical celebration for the City of Lexington back in 2003.  We were celebrating our 175^th anniversary and Joe Sink, who was then Editor of the Dispatch, had secured a bunch of money from the New York Times to finance the festivities.  We were having a grand old time spending Joe’s money and the Civic Center was packed twice to witness a spectacular performance. 

        Not long after the event a lady stopped me in a store and in gushing terms told me how much she enjoyed the production.  Then she added, “It’s just a shame that an outsider had to come in to do something like that.”  Well, here’s an “outsider” who loves calling Davidson County home!

        Our county has one of the richest histories in the state.  Did you know that one of the early revolutionary movements in the American Colonies started here?  Benjamin Merrill led a large group of “Regulators” in protest to oppressive taxes by the British.  Merrill became an early martyr for freedom when he was executed by the British in 1771.  Four years later the town of Lexington was named by brave Patriots just weeks after the “Shot Heard Round the World” was fired.

        Did you know our county was a leader in race relations as far back as 1929 when the Davidson County Public Library became the first County Library in the entire south (not just the state, the entire south!) to open its doors to citizens of color?

        It is fitting that the most significant and distinguished landmark in our county is a historical treasure—our antebellum Courthouse.  Standing tall and proud, she is the shining light in our county, the symbol of our spirit, the herald of our history, and the visible declaration of our democracy. 

        Even greater than our rich history is our generous spirit.  I love calling Davidson County home because people truly care about others.  This is a community with a caring heart.  I’ve seen miracles great and small as Davidson County citizens have responded with generous hearts to Davidson Medical Ministries, the YMCA, Crisis Ministry, our Hospitals, the Community College, Cancer Services, the Hospice house, Pastor’s Pantry, our Children’s Homes, the United Way, and many more.  But by far the most amazing fundraising effort was the drive led by Ardell Lanier and Max Walser to build a chapel at the prison.  It was one of the worst times for our community economically, yet the true heart of our community emerged above every obstacle and conventional wisdom and today a beautiful chapel stands as a symbol of hope and forgiveness in the middle of our prison camp.

         There are times that living in Davidson County is like being in a Norman Rockwell painting, like stepping back in time, sampling a juicy slice of authentic Americana.  It happens every year in the third week of September at the Davidson County Agricultural Fair.  Where else can you find cows, horses, chickens, rabbits, pumpkins, pies, pickles, cakes, quilts, crafts, country ham, pinto beans, candied apples, babies, politicians, cotton candy, and a beauty pageant! 

        It happens every year on the 4^th Saturday in October when close to 200,000 people descend on downtown Lexington to celebrate BBQ.  It happens every Friday night in the fall when high school bands play loud and proud and the football team runs on the field for another run at glory.  It happens on hot summer nights as a glorious sunset illuminates the sky above the baseball diamond while the crowd cheers their team and jeers the umpires.  It happens every summer when over 150 deserving children get to spend a week at Kamp Kiwanis thanks to the generosity of strangers.   

        Remember that old “outsider?”  Well, I get to bless the BBQ each year at the BBQ Festival, I get the take up tickets and work at the fair, and I get to share the joy of Kamp Kiwanis with those special children because I belong to the Kiwanis Club.  I have been privileged to serve on many of the committees and boards raising funds for caring agencies.  I was able to write a book on the rich history of our county and was honored to speak at the rededication of our historic antebellum Courthouse.  For over 10 years I broadcast American Legion Baseball games on hot summer nights and Lexington High football games on crisp football Friday nights with my dear friend, Harold Bowen.  And for almost three decades I have been able to share my thoughts and reflections through a monthly religion column in the Dispatch.  Not bad for an “outsider!” 

        And I didn’t even mention my day job.   My greatest joy is serving as the Senior Minister of the First Baptist Church of Lexington.  Did I tell you that I have been there almost 30 years?  This should not surprise you.  I’m only the third minister since the Second World War.  And guess what?  All three of us were “outsiders!”  But we did drink the water and that’s why we love calling Davidson County home!

Praying for the Day When Peace and Tranquility Will Return Once More

“I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness. I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.”

Anne Frank was only 15 when she mercilessly died from starvation and disease in a Nazi concentration camp. For two years before they were captured, Anne and her family were in hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam. Her diary that was published after the war has become one of the most powerful and profound commentaries on a world filled with hatred, violence and destruction. This young girl lived in a hate-filled, cruel world of anti-Semitism, and yet she found reason to believe that “peace and tranquility will return once more.”

Eighty years ago this month the Nazis went on a ruthless rampage across Germany and Austria, burning synagogues, destroying Jewish homes, schools, and businesses. On this terror-filled night that became known as the Kristallnacht, over 100 Jews were murdered and 30,000 arrested and deported to concentration camps. Hatred once again reared its ugly head when eleven Jews worshiping in their synagogue were slaughtered by a man who “just wanted to kill Jews.” This didn’t happen in Nazi Germany in the 1930s — it happened last Saturday in the United States of America.

Seventy-five years ago we fought a war to stop the evil force of hatred, discrimination and destruction. This war, which cost millions of lives (420,000 of which were American) was fought on the principle of freedom, equality, and the dignity and worth of every human being.

How soon we forget. Today, hate-filled and divisive rhetoric dominates the airways. We never know when another madman will storm into one of our schools killing innocent children. People of faith are not safe in their houses of worship. It seems that our world is being slowly transformed into a wilderness.

What do we do? How do we respond? Martin Luther King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” The answer to our dilemma can only be found in love. And it must begin on a personal level as we remember the “new commandment” to love one another as God has loved us.

If we believe that every human being is a person of worth, created in the Image of God, then we will treat that person with kindness and respect, even though we may disagree with their beliefs, their lifestyle, or their actions. Doesn’t Scripture instruct us to, “Be ye kind, one to another.”

Paul talked about the potential of words being destructive. He said: “Let your speech always be gracious.” He was very blunt in Ephesians when he wrote, “Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that imparts grace on those who hear what you say.”

Yes, our speech matters. Our attitudes matter. Our actions matter. This is the beginning of restoring kindness, of respecting the dignity of every person, and of believing that I am to love my neighbor as myself.

Thirty-years ago George H.W. Bush was nominated by the Republican Party as their nominee for president of the United States. In his acceptance speech the soon to be President Bush said, “I want a kinder, gentler nation.” How we need to heed his words again today!

Young Anne Frank lived in a terror- and hate-filled world, yet she wrote from her hiding place, “I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” I also believe in the goodness of people, for we are all created in the Image of God. But even more, I believe in the goodness of God. I believe that God always works together for good and I pray for the day when “peace and tranquility will return once more.”