WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN CHEESES WHEN WE SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEAS
English is a funny language. It is even funnier when we see words written that aren’t really there or hear words that aren’t really spoken. Newspaper headlines and Baptists are particularly disturbing when it comes to words. This is not current news but apparently a wild woman caused quite a bit of havoc several years ago. The headlines said “Cuba recovering as Michelle hits hard,” and “Keys evacuated as Michelle nears.” When I first read those words I thought it was an outrage. That woman must be stopped. The next thing you know she’ll want to be a deacon.
Another headline said, “330,000 Liberians homeless from strife.” This is so sad. I feel especially bad for the Liberians thinking that they may be homeless because thousands of people like me have never paid their overdue book fees. But the most frightening headline I’ve seen is “Buffalo pumping station proposal angers residents.” I agree with the angry residents. Why are we spending good money pumping buffalo? Do we even know if they have gas? And if they have gas they certainly don’t need to be at home on the range.
The other problem with our language is that so many words sound like something else and can really be confusing. I heard one news report about the anthrax problem at male-sorting centers. I didn’t even know we had those. And what is the latest on global worming? I know several people who would benefit from a good worming. Another troubling headline said, “New CEO comes from board.” What is he, a termite? Maybe he just came from some splinter group.
I did some research and found some other words that are very disturbing. A simple word like “defer” can be confusing when used in this sentence: “When that otter hits the fan, defer will fly.” Mustard gas is what happens to mustard when it eats too much cabbage. On a historical note, a soldier in the 19th century went deep into Florida scouting ahead of his troop. He wanted to get delay of Deland. I don’t know. Some days I just feel like putting on my butterfly formal and attending a mothball.
It is easy to see how words can be confusing. It makes me wonder why we are so careless and hurtful with them. James 1:26 says, “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless” (NLT). Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, “Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart”(NIV).
Good words . . . Jesus was full of them. When we use words carelessly it could lead someone to think we are not full of Jesus. We must be careful in what we say and in what we think we hear, like the line from the old hymn that says, “ . . .gladly the cross-eyed bear.” Or like children who hear “What a friend we have in cheeses,” instead of Jesus. Or “When we sleep in heavenly peas, instead of peace. Careless words are cruel and divisive, not encouraging and unifying. Choose your words wisely. You can be a piecemaker or you can be a peacemaker. Remember, it’s not the piecemakers who are blessed.