I think most of us remember the child verse, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Many of us who use to shout this back at taunts from other kids, believed firmly in this sentiment. However, given the events of the past two years, we have experienced the emptiness and falseness of these words, especially in light of the gun massacre of innocent people of color at the Walmart in El Paso, Texas, and the shootings in the synagogues of San Diego and Pittsburgh.
Words have consequences. They always have had consequences. Words do hurt. You may not always see welts, the wounds, on the surface of the skin. They often drive deep inside beyond eyesight and inflict wound on a person’s soul that may never heal, may fester, and grow worse. I have seen this in people who have been verbally abused. Its most acute on children who have been verbally abused by a parent.
Words have consequences and long after the wounds from sticks and stones have healed, the wound caused by words may never heal.
Historically, words of people have led to homicide and genocide. The lives of people have been seriously impacted and destroyed from the words of political leaders of all political ideologies and governments and religious leaders from most religions.
Most recently in history, look at the impact of the words of Hitler on the German nation. His words led them to carry a horrific war that killed millions on the European continent. His words led to the systemic murder of 6 million Jews. His words had such a horrific impact on the European continent, that they have left their mark on every country as far north as Norway and as far south as Libya, as far west as Great Britain, and as far east as Russia. His words crossed the Atlantic Ocean and impacted the lives of many American families, most of whom opposed his words, but some, like aviator, Charles Lindbergh, embraced them. To this very day, Hitler’s words continue to incite violence especially so among white supremacists.
Much has been made of the words of President Trump speaks to reporters at his impromptu press conferences, walking to and from the Marine Helicopter. The words that President Trump speaks at his rallies incites the people present, mostly Caucasian in origin, to anger, to strike out at others not like themselves. We have seen the impact of his words painted in the blood of the victims on the sidewalk and floors of Walmart in El Paso, in the synagogue of San Diego, and in the synagogue of Pittsburgh. It is true, the President did not squeeze the trigger of the guns that killed these poor people, but his words inspired the killers to go ahead and perpetuate violence against the people they targeted.
Words have consequences. But it is foolhardy and false to condemn those incited to violence by the violent rhetoric of our President, without looking deeply at how those words impact our own selves!
In Roman Catholic religious formation, we are taught to avoid “near occasions of sin.” If something or someone inspires us to act sinfully, we are to avoid that something or someone. Some examples of this might be if you are alcoholic, you avoid places that might tempt you to take a drink. Or, if you have difficulty with pornography, you avoid websites, entertainments, and company that might tempt you to engage in immoral acts.
It is no secret that I have no respect for President Trump. Long before he was president, I disliked him greatly. I have always thought he was an empty human being, a complete phony. It was apparent from his words and his actions that he was a narcissist. If he had a conscience, he kept it well repressed as he engaged in multiple adulteries, sexually assaulted women, and cheated and lied to keep his ill found financial empire.
What I did not know about him was his compulsive lying. The President has revealed himself to be the worse of liars, from the very moment he placed his hand on the Bible at his inauguration and vowed to Almighty God to support the Constitution of the United States.
I have a strong aversion to those who lie, especially those who lie knowingly. This aversion applies to all people regardless of their place in life, whether they be bishops, politicians, or the guy in the street. I hate liars. I find that in just listening to the President speak, even for as small a time as five minutes, I find myself incensed to rage when President Trump gets enraged at reporters who catch him lying and hold him accountable for his lies.
I have ministered to and with Mexican and Ecuadorian Latino families, and outstanding Muslim people. I have nothing but respect and love for these wonderful human beings. When the President starts to denigrate and incites violence against these honorable people, who like me, are just wanting the best for their children and to follow their religious path to God, I find myself getting very, very angry! I find myself, speaking/shouting words to the image of President Trump on the television, words I usually reserved for installing and fixing plumbing (something that has always been a near occasion of sin for me).
Observing my visceral reaction to the spoken words of President Trump, the question I ask myself is, “Why do I give him the power to incite me to violent verbal rhetoric?” He may be president, but his power is limited to himself and those in his administration. The only power he has over me is that which I give him. We heard in the scripture reading of Paul to the Colossians this past weekend, that we, who have been baptized in Christ, have been called to a higher way of living, no longer subject to the subhuman way of living in our world. “Why should I let this subhuman man any power over me? By my baptism, by my ordination to the diaconate, I have been called to be Christ, to live the law of love to which Christ has called all his disciples.”
I cannot avoid the near occasion of sin of President Trump. For as long as he is president, he will always be a part of the news feed on our television, radio, newspapers, and social media. I am able to have power over how I respond to his words of violence and the feelings that those words invoke within myself. I also realize that I cannot do this by myself. I have to call upon the presence of Christ within me to help stem the violent visceral reaction I have toward the President and his followers.
These words from the first letter of John stay with me. “
⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4: 7-12, NRSV)
Whoever does not love abides in death. ¹⁵ All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. ¹⁶ We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. ¹⁷ How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? (1 John 3: 14b-17, NRSV)
Words have consequences! They can incite us to curse others as we have witnessed at the political rallies of President Trump and to kill others as we have witnesses at the massacre of people in El Paso, in our synagogues and our churches.
Words, especially those of Jesus, can inspire us to love in ways we never thought possible!
God has given us the gift of free will. It is our choice.
