Who do you say AND show that I am?

"Preach the Gospel at all times… and when necessary, use words”

(attributed to St. Francis of Assisi… who’s Feast Day is coming up in a few weeks)

“What you do speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say.”

(a common paraphrase of words of Ralph Waldo Emerson)  

Perhaps you’ve heard these phrases before.  Pardon the pun, they ‘speak’ to our awareness of the cheapness of hollow words in this day of buzz and spin.  They seem to ‘show’ us that actions speak louder than words.

Our biblical lessons lately, however, are reminding us that as Christians we’re called to both speak the good news with our words as well as show the good news with our actions. 

In last week’s lesson from James, we were told “faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17).  In this week’s lesson from James (James 3:1-12) we’re vividly instructed to be a good stewards of our tongues and the words they articulate because they are very much related to the fidelity (or lack of it) in our actions.

And, our readings from the Gospel of Mark up to this point have really been emphasizing the demonstration of who Jesus really is through his actions.  A few weeks ago we heard Jesus himself invoke the words of the prophet Isaiah to call out the hypocrisy of those who honor God with their mouths while really being more obsessed with what we put into them rather than showing a true heart for God through their actions.. and Jesus went on to say that our cleanliness is really better determined by what comes out of our mouths, because that reveals the truest intentions of our hearts (Mark 7:1-23).

In today’s lesson from Mark (Mark 8:27-38), at the midpoint in Mark’s narrative, there’s a critical shift in focus – Jesus moves from showing to telling…. from showing who he is to saying explicitly what his mission is about.  And, we hear with words the profound profession of Peter who finally says aloud what he believes to be true about Jesus – “You are the Messiah” (Mark 8:29).   This of course is followed immediately by Peter attempting to persuade Jesus away from the dangers of the mission Jesus has articulated… and then Jesus using strong words to rebuke the temptation that Peter’s words represent.

James Tissot, Get out of my sight, Satan, Brooklyn Museum, 1886-96

Jesus teachings and the verbal professions of the disciples are important… yet, as the disciples’ actions will reveal, they still don’t quite get it – they’re saying the right words, but their actions initially don’t reveal that they understand the implications of what has been said… at least not in light of the meaning of Jesus’s teachings as revealed his own actions.

Yes, Jesus is the Messiah… but, not the militant leader who will redeem chosen people through military or political force; rather, he’s a suffering servant who will save people through joining with them in humiliation, suffering, and even the ultimate sacrifice of himself through surrendering to a brutal execution on their behalf.  He calls people to follow his example of compassionate and just actions demonstrable of the ultimate love of God and promise of new life especially for the ‘least of these’ even when doing so diminishes our own status in the eyes of the world around us.

Preach the good news at all times… and, it’s necessary to reveal the truth of our words through the fidelity of our actions. 

Christian discipleship is far more than an intellectual exercise in which we ‘get it right’ by properly articulating our beliefs out loud using a specific formulation of words.  It is about sharing the good news as we understand it AND continuing to evolve our understanding of it through getting our hands dirty doing the work of Christ with and for our neighbors. 

Talk the walk while walking the walk, being open to talking a new talk or walking in new ways as we learn more about what it means to truly follow our Lord.

It is the faithful words of our ancestors recorded in our sacred scriptures, accompanied by the profound witness of their actions – what they did to demonstrate their faith – that speaks to our hearts and shows us ‘the way.’  Our lives – in actions and words - should be models for others.

So, which comes first in our lives?  Hearing or speaking the truth… or acting according to the truth?  Both are necessary – faithful words and faithful actions – but which influences which more?

Though there’s something compelling about focusing on actions speaking louder than words.  In this post-modern age of deconstructive relativism and subjectivism, it’s often easier for us to believe in what we see in action rather than what we hear people say, no matter how convincing their words may be.

And, there is real power in words… particularly in this age of globally shared social networking technology.

Rather than simply concede that words are cheap and focus more on actions, what if we hold fast to the truth of this morning’s Epistle lesson and become more vigilant in our use of words, exhibiting more determined discipline around the use of words believing that they have power to influence actions in profound ways.

The author of James uses many metaphors to illustrate the role of our tongues in shaping the reality around us: a horse’s bit/bridle directs the animal; a small rudder moving a ship slowly; a small flame that can stoke larger fires; like poisonous creature (restless evil, full of deadly poison); a wellspring that either gives forth living or toxic waters.  Using contemporary images, we might speak of a single virus capable of turning into a pandemic or a single atomic shift capable of producing a widespread radioactive meltdown.

And, just as “loose lips can sink ships”, it’s also true that a single word spoken at just the right time can alter someone’s sense of worth and purpose for the rest of their lives.

Let’s try an exercise to help us get closer to the power of our words and what they reveal about the conditions of our hearts as well as how they can influence our perceptions and actions. 

If you’re comfortable, I invite you to close your eyes and participate in this as a form of prayer.

[1: Words that hurt or destroy- do you remember what was said? If you had to summarize the feeling or intention in a single word, what word would you use?  Speak that single word either silently or aloud as an offering up to God – please lift this from us and forgive the trespass and sin.]

[2: Words that heal or build – do you remember what was said?  If you had to put the power of that transformative moment into a single word, what would it be?  Speak that single word either silently or aloud as an offering up to God – we offer this as thanksgiving for the power of words spoken in love.]

[3. Words of faith and praise - Jesus stands here with us, telling us who he is and the mission that he is on.  It might be difficult initially to believe what he’s saying to us or to accept that he’s calling us to.  What one word represents the fear or the hope that you have in who Jesus is and what he calls us to do?  Speak that single word either silently or aloud as an offering up to God – we offer this as prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to work with what this word represents in our lives in order to bring us close to knowledge and love of God and neighbor.]

God, you know what is on our hearts even before words come out of our mouths. 

Please use the words we’ve offered, and all that they represent, to help draw us close to true knowledge and love of you and our neighbor.

-or-

We ask in the name of your Son, our Messiah, that the Holy Spirit shape our hearts… breaking them open at the right times so that we can feel more deeply the suffering as well as share more freely what you’ve so freely given us.

We ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in greater discipline of our mouths, being more mindful of what we speak, to whom, when, and where.  In a word, let our lives be exemplary of your living Word, exhibiting your love incarnated through sharing the teachings and actions of Jesus our Christ.

AMEN.