Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Power of the Pen

A follow-up to Mindy Obenhaus's great post last week by Ruth Logan Herne

Last week Mindy Obenhaus talked about the power of  Christian fiction and how our words affect others.

That is so true. It's not only true of us, but of anyone who has either the gift of the pen or storytelling or lecture. It's a lark, right? An adventure, ripe for the telling! A chance to spin a yarn.


But the gift of writing and storytelling goes deeper than that. Far deeper.

Years ago a line of Laura Ingalls Wilder stuck with me... how when there was a new teacher in the school, the children were challenging her. Being naughty, as children will. Testing. And Laura slanted them a quick smile of encouragement because the teacher had been sharp with her.

That tiny smile was enough to spur them on to wreak havoc. A classroom run amok. And Laura understood her little smile of approval had fed the fire.

A few years ago a high-ranking politician used faint words of disparagement for law enforcement after a bad situation. It wasn't the words the politician used... it was the absence of words that fired up an entire movement that lasted for years and changed how police and people interact... and has been blamed for what some call a "war on cops".

Recently I heard a pastor deliver a sermon. It was a fire-and-brimstone sermon from a man who often berates people for no reason. He's a harsh man, quite judgmental, but some of his sermons border eloquence... That day, the fire and brimstone fell short. It was a dismal homily and it was hard to believe that anyone in that church was touched by those words or the delivery...


But months later I heard that same man deliver a homily at the funeral of a young suicide victim. An eighteen-year-old who had taken his own life because of a drug dependence, an addiction, and he felt like he was a complete loser, a complete waste and a disappointment to his whole family... he was the fifth of seven young people who died in my little town last year, from overdoses... And there were 230 deaths in my county alone.



But this isn't about that.... that's another blog. This is about how the words matter so very much. Because they do, you know.

That day, this harsh man gave a beautiful homily/sermon. He talked about the questions we all ask... the deep sorrow, the guilt, the constant "why???" that has no response. And then he spoke to those young people. They were sitting in the back. About four pews filled with them, easily a hundred or more young adults, brokenhearted and there didn't look to be a varsity player or cheerleader in the group, if you get my drift.

He didn't talk to the family right then... he spoke to that gathering of friends. He told them how the worst thing they could do would be to despair and follow their friend into death. That the entire church understands how they feel right now... and how they'll feel in six weeks. Six months. And that the entire church wants them healthy and whole, wants them happy and to have a chance at a full life. And he asked them to come forward at Communion for a blessing. And they did.


Those words mattered. Our words matter. With a slight of pen we can make a sentence bring joy or create anger and unrest. With a choice of banter we can make light of a wretched thing like sexism or racism... or show people standing up for one another and doing the right thing, even when it's the hardest thing to do.

Words matter when we speak them. They matter when we teach with them. And they matter when we write them.

Never take your words lightly. And never underestimate the power of well-written words on a needy society. Gaping holes in society are often filled with words of a hero... or words of a dictator because so many people look for a leader to guide them.

Words can be a blessing or a curse. They can soothe or stir.

That's when the choice comes down to you. What you want. What you hope to attain. What you hope to inspire.

You matter.
Your words matter.
And it is so very important to choose them well, my friends.
Far better to be pleased with the outcome of your inspiration than stunned by havoc wrought...
Unless...

Of course....

Havoc was the goal, after all.

Multi-published, award-winning inspirational author Ruth Logan Herne loves writing stories that touch the heart... and the soul. She lives on a muddy and most prosaic pumpkin farm in Western New York, cleans donkey pens, cares for chickens (only because they lay nice eggs) and is often found with Diet Mt. Dew or coffee because legally caffeinated beverages are her drug of choice. You can talk to her by commenting here... pretty easy, right?  Or e-mail her at loganherne@gmail.com, visit her website ruthloganherne.com or friend her on facebook or follow her antics on Twitter.

34 comments:

  1. Hi Ruth:

    Perhaps the pen has only the power that a reader gives it. The power is in the minds of readers and not the pen. It's not so much power as it is the ability to reach out and touch the soul of another.

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    1. Vince, you're right. But a clever pen can tweak a mind... influence... and lead. The reader has all the power, but mindset can be a fractious thing.

      I think writers and teachers and orators need to recognize the possible influence of their words and deeds and act accordingly.

      But then, I am totally on your side because while God told Peter to tend his sheep...

      He gave us the free will and intelligence to pick and choose who and what we follow. So that power is right back in the readers' hands.

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  2. Yes, words are so powerful in those situations, as I lost my 12 year old nephew to suicide in January. Words hold the power to heal or harm if we let them. Thank you for your insight. Have a blessed day.

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    1. Lucy, so sorry to hear of your loss.

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    2. Oh, Lucy... Lucy, I am so sorry. I know that for a loss like that, there are no real words. There is the love of friends. The love of family... but so many unanswered questions. So much heartache... I am praying for you and your family. For the tragic loss of a child. Lucy, what is his name? And no matter what else, I believe the Lord has a special comfort for the lost lambs... he risked 99 to get 1... so I believe our lost lambs are tucked beneath his arm. Basking in his love.

      Thank you for sharing with us.

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    3. His name is Gage. He was a gentle soul who loved Jesus, but was bullied over his weight.

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    4. Oh, sweet Gage... if you only knew how beloved you were and are... but you are now. Safe with our sweet Savior. I am so sorry that your heart took a beating by other's cruelty, and that's another example of how those words hurt...

      Bless him. And bless all of you, Lucy.

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    5. Lucy, my heart breaks for you, and for Gage. I'm so sorry for your loss.

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  3. Great reminder this morning. Thank you!

    The fact death and life are in the power of the tongue can be a sobering thought. God spoke life and the world was created. In a way writers have a chance to create worlds too through their stories. It's both a blessing and a responsibility to choose life words.

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    1. Samantha, hey.... good to see you this morning. And it is sobering, isn't it? Most of the time it's full of inspiration and aspiration, but sometimes it is mind-bogglingly sobering...

      I think it's good to have that reminder of how the weight bears on our shoulders for good... and sometimes for bad, even if we don't mean it that way.

      Glad you came by.

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  4. You're right that it is a great responsibility when it comes to what we say and what we write. When self-identified Christians represent Jesus, we add an extra measure of weight to what we say and we need to be careful in not just the words we choose, but the tone in which we communicate.

    Great post, as always! It's a lot to think about!

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    1. Glynis, good morning!

      I am in total agreement. A tiny change in our work has a ripple effect, especially once you've earned readers' trust... Because they don't expect you to lead them astray or believe you would do it...

      And in tough times, when so much has become secular to so many, there is that gaping hole within us, the hole that Jesus and faith and God fills, that God-shaped hole that yearns... but it's at that very time that people can be led astray.

      Thank you for being here!

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  5. So, this post may have made me swipe at my eyes . . . a couple of times. First of all, Ruthy, I'm sorry for all the suicides in your community. That's truly heartbreaking. We've had four-five at our boys' school over the past 3 years, and many more in our community.

    I loved your reminder about the power of words. thank you for the encouragement to wield them for life and hope. I'll be meditating on your words today.

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    1. Jeanne, I look around at the number of young people losing their lives to drugs and overdoses (the opioid crisis) and then the young people acting out in violence (so many white boys and school shootings) and then the suicides... and we have to wonder what on earth are we doing wrong in the land of plenty?

      Picking our words for every good purpose...

      That's a solid start in a good direction.

      I'm so glad you came by today!

      Where is the rock of faith, hope and love?

      It's hard to fight the lure of emptiness that comes with material possessions, and it's hard to always be on guard with our words, but if we the parents, the clergy, the politicians and all can't set the best example ever, then we're part of the failure.

      Our words bear so much for so many... Like

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  6. What we write is so important, but it shouldn't the burden I often make it. Hearing God's words and putting the pen to page is not as easy as it sounds. When I have trouble making that transition from thought to page, I always figure I'm doing something right. Isn't that when we're attacked the most? Thanks for a great post Ruthy. What a marvelous perspective.

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    1. Oh, thank you, Cindy. And you're right, it shouldn't be a burden. I think sometimes we just mess ourselves up mentally... but then I like your take that it's sometimes because we're on the right track that we get stymied... and we climb back on that old horse and ride, baby... ride.

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  7. This is a beautiful post, Ruthy.
    God bless you for it.

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  8. Ruthy, this is a very thought-provoking post. On paper I can carefully choose my words, but I may not be so careful when I open my mouth. Though I never purposely seek to hurt anyone with my words, sometimes they may not come out the right way. I would do well to hold my tongue and be thought of as wise.

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    1. Mindy, I am so guilty of the same thing. We can edit our stories, our blogs, our words on paper... but we don't always have the filter on our tongues.

      Silly human us.

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    2. Mindy and Ruthy, I was thinking the same thing. It's easy to edit our thoughts and words when we're putting them on paper, but sometimes they don't come out right when we speak them. I don't want to offend people, either, but I'm not an eloquent speaker, and sometimes what I mean isn't what comes out.

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  9. Ruthy, it's so true how words matter. They're powerful. We have a responsibility to use them wisely.

    I also wish we as a society could learn to listen more. We speak and write (use those powerful words) yet rarely stop to listen to someone who may have a differing opinion. I know I'm guilty of that. I want to use my words wisely and also listen and learn how others feel.

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    1. Missy, this is so true... when I listened to that wounded rabbi last week, I thought of this. How important it is to listen and learn and his courage at wrapping up his damaged hand and talking to his congregation... and then talking to so many with uplifting words in the aftermath.

      It's so easy to condemn and it would have been so easy to stir even more anger at a horrific act of violence, but the words I heard him say simply uplifted the Jews who were targeted at worship. This is slightly abbreviated from his interview with CNN:

      "We are so lucky to live in a free country. So very lucky... terror will not win. As Americans we won't cower in the face of anti-Semitism. We must learn from every event that occurs... Every step back must become a firm step forward."

      So what sets evil in motion? And can our words and the words of parents and politicians and teachers and loved ones help stop it?

      If we are all more careful?

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  10. I think evil is set in motion when good people don't choose to speak up against it. When those words of strength, and hope, and truth aren't spoken. We must remember that the past will repeat itself if we don't learn from it. Christians are called to be the light shining in the darkness and that's not a safe place to be sometimes. We need to speak the truth as well as give hope and that's not going to make us popular.

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    1. Laurie, so much wisdom in those words. It reminds me of that Martin Neimoller poem, post WWII:
      First they came for the Jews and I did not speak outbecause I was not a Jew.

      Then they came for the Communistsand I did not speak outbecause I was not a Communist.

      Then they came for the trade unionistsand I did not speak outbecause I was not a trade unionist.

      Then they came for meand there was no one leftto speak out for me.

      It can be hard to speak out... and again, it's so important to not just lash out. There are so many rants these days that no one much listens.

      Maybe that's part of the problem?

      But yes, to speak out on things to save life... to ensure freedoms... to care for one another as best we're able.

      Speak Life as Toby Mac says...

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  11. Our world is so broken right now...and so fractured. Spreading God's love and mercy through story can help those who are confused or lost. Hopefully, the Lord ensures our stories get into the right readers' hands. Then we have to trust that God will make something good out of our meager attempts to shed his light into the darkness.

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    1. Oh, Debby, I agree 100%. Mending fractures with gentleness and kindness and words of wisdom.... we are so blessed to do what we do, aren't we? And to take those words and their effect seriously... the mark of a good person. God blesses us to bless others.

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  12. This is so timely for me as I watch what is unfolding in Australia regarding Israel Folau. I wish he had chosen to speak his truth in a way that would feel like less of an attack on a sensitive and yet vocal group of people. And yet, I admire him, too, for being bold for the Lord and not counting the cost.

    We have a responsibility to speak out, and yet, not to attack. A fine line these days when people are declaring their right not to be offended over your right to speak what you believe to be the truth.

    It makes my heart sad.

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    1. Erica, you show such wisdom and compassion. I hadn't heard of this case until you mentioned it before, and it's a tough one... his convictions seem strong, but we know after seeing Tim Tebow get routed out of football after that anti-abortion commercial with him mom that there are bigger and richer people/organizations pulling strings at the top... and maybe if he had just left it at quoting scripture without the meme image, they wouldn't have had the knee-jerk reaction. But still... the guy is losing his job over quoting scripture... and how can that be right?

      I wonder what the appeals panel will do... overturn and a fine with a short suspension would be my guess. I can't imagine they want to go to court over freedom of religion, can you?

      Oh my stars... I can't even.

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  13. i really learned a lot, there's a great responsibility when it comes to what we say and what we write.

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