Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes.
In this letter, the author is telling the people to mind their tongues. Later in this passage, he says, “No one can tame the tongue – a restless evil, full of deadly poison Ouch! That is so true, isn’t it? I can manage much, but occasionally I say things I oughtn’t, and I almost know it as soon as the words come out of my mouth. Why is it we cannot master our tongues?
The author begins this section talking about teachers, that not many should become teachers because teachers will be judged with greater strictness. What I understand from this is that because we cannot tame our tongue, and teachers are held to a higher standard, we ought to be very careful, presuming we can teach – for all of us make many mistakes.
Thinking about this, I’m struck that we’re all teachers to someone. In particular, I’m thinking about parents, who all are effectively teachers with the greatest job in the world. Parents are, in fact held to a stricter standard, particularly by our kids, aren’t we? We make many mistakes, don’t we? And we’re still as unable to master our tongues, aren’t we?
What can we learn from this letter as teaching parents, imperfect and yet held to a strict standard? This section also says that from the same mouth come blessings and curses. Yes! But what to do, what to do…
The parts of this letter that follow this morning’s reading talk about wisdom and kind acts. It doesn’t talk about the tongue, but talks about doing acts of kindness and gentleness. ‘A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace’.
This reminds me that even in my grouchiest moments, my heart is full of love and kindness. Maybe we’re called to redirect ourselves from words to actions when our words are moving towards ugly – when we’re unable to tame our tongues. Even in the midst of an untamed tongue, my heart overflows with love. SO, maybe one strategy to tame the tongue is to just keep the mouth shut. Say nothing during those moments when I know it’s untamed. Instead, take a loving action. It seems incongruous, to do something nice when angry. But I believe we all have it in us to do loving things, even when the tongue is ready to set fire to everything around.
In advance of my tongue going rogue, I generally have a little notice. I can sense it rising up in me, whether it’s a sense of indignation, hurt or frustration. At that precise moment, I will stop, and refocus on doing something loving. Maybe laundry. Or dishes. Or go buy a gift. Just talking about doing something steeped in goodness makes me feel a little lighter. How much better to actually do it, right in the midst of an untamable tongue.
This morning, I’m thinking about how to use that rising sense of a rogue tongue as a prompt to reach deep and tap the love and kindness that exists in my heart, even when my head is wanting to go a different direction.
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