Call me old-fashioned, but I still like reading a newspaper. As a kid, I remember when the local weekly newspapers, the Ely Echo and the Ely Miner would appear in our mailboxes. They had great local news, covered all school events—from sports to band and choir concerts—and included obituaries. I can hear my mother's voice today asking my dad if he knew that so-and-so had died, and then explaining how they were related to this person or that person. For the daily paper, there were the Mesabi Daily News and the Duluth News Tribune. On Sunday, the big thrill was getting the Minneapolis Star and Tribune! We frequently fought over the comics. My grandfather, sitting back in his recliner after a day of work at the store, would light his pipe, and we could see smoke waft above the pages of the Wall Street Journal. Back then, we looked forward to the news, especially the news printed on paper.

Even so, today I only receive one newspaper in the mail. Ironically, it is a small but vibrant weekly newspaper from a small town I have never visited. Until I started receiving the newspaper, the only two people I know in this town are the ones who gave it to me as a gift. However, after a year of reading the Kerkhoven Banner, when I open its pages, I feel like I know the wonderful folks who live there. I follow their sports teams, community events, and even read the obituaries. When I read the letters to the editor, I often picture the person who penned them. This gift has introduced me to people I would never have met otherwise.

In a very similar way, the Bible is also a gift. It is a library of many stories, letters, parables, and even has an obituary. The Bible has introduced me to people I would have never met otherwise and includes a talking donkey. Not unlike the Kerkhoven Banner but with wider circulation, the Bible expands my mind and helps me know not just about where I live but about the whole world and the universe. Its editor is loving and kind, full of mercy, compassion, and justice. The Bible is not a book about punishment, even though there are some harsh stories within its pages. Rather, it is a collection of stories about possibilities and promise. The best part of the Bible is that within its pages, you can find the Good News: The Gospel of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that just as I now have a relationship with the good folks of Kerkhoven, even though we have never met, we can also be in a relationship with Jesus Christ when we read, proclaim, and share Christ's message of hope and unconditional love found in the book called the Bible. 

Friday afternoon, I received several calls in quick succession from a company trying to sell me an extended warranty for my car. I tried on many occasions to get removed from their call list but to no avail. So, after two quick calls where I politely informed them I was not interested, I got angry when the phone rang a third time. This time, I did not even bother to look at who was calling. I screamed into the phone, “I just told you a few minutes ago: do not call me again. What's wrong with you. I am not interested.”

There was a pause, and a familiar voice said, “John, all I wanted to do was wish you a belated happy birthday.”

Realizing it was an old friend and not a sales call, I apologized. We both chuckled and then proceeded to have a great conversation.

Growing up, when I would get upset, my mother would always caution me by saying, “Choose your words carefully.”

Today, I think word choice is a lost art that we need to practice daily. After all, no matter where we go—the grocery store, a football game, a coffee shop, even in classes at the seminary—we often use words that inflame, demean, and provoke others. Just the other day, I almost let some unkind words fly at a person who cut in front of me in the checkout line at a grocery store. But then I thought, to what end? Channeling my mother, instead of cursing, I gave them a smile and said, "No problem."" After all, the words I speak say more about me than about the person I am speaking to.

When speaking about the power of the tongue, James says, “With it we both bless the Lord and Father and curse human beings made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it just shouldn’t be this way!” (James 3:9–10) I could not say it better if I tried!

Today, as sharp tongues go unchecked on social media and political campaigns make scandalous claims as they gear up for the midterms, now is the perfect time for us to fill our hearts with love so that when we speak, what comes out is not poison, but rather, words that heal: kindness, compassion, respect, and peace. Amen.