A Deeper Thought

   Tolkien wrote, in his essay On Fairy-Stories, of the wonders that words can create.
   "The mind that thought of light, heavy, grey, yellow, still, swift, also conceived of magic that would make heavy things light and able to fly, turn grey lead into yellow gold, and the still rock into a swift water. If it could do the one, it could do the other; it inevitably did both. When we can take green from grass, blue from heaven, and red from blood, we have already an enchanter's power -- upon one plane; and the desire to wield that power in the world external to our minds awakes. It does not follow that we shall use that power well upon any plane. We may put a deadly green upon a man's face and produce a horror; we may make the rare and terrible blue moon to shine; or we may cause woods to spring with silver leaves and rams to wear fleeces of gold, and put hot fire into the belly of the cold worm. But in such 'fantasy', as it is called, new form is made; Faerie begins; Man becomes a subcreator."
   In the Kalevala, the national epic of Finland, Vainamoinen is just such an enchanter -- as are those who created the lays of the Kalevala itself.
   Though the simple expression of words cannot change the shape of our outer reality directly, they influence our inner reality profoundly. Truth brings out truth, or it makes us hide our secrets closer.
   How do we use our words? Carelessly, in anger, with malice? Or cautiously, taking time to consider their effect and weigh their impact? The Apostle James understood the power of words well: he stated, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." (James 3:2)
   Words are things of power and potential beauty; misused, they can bring ruin and sorrow, pain and lingering regret. As with any power that we possess, it is wisdom to weigh the consequences of our words, and to strive to use this gift with restraint and forethought.