What is the most powerful part of our body?

According to the Bible (James chapter 3), it is the tongue!

“This is scary: you can tame a tiger but you can’t tame a tongue.” (James 3:7 in ‘the Message’). James likens the power of the tongue to a bit in a horse’s mouth, and a small rudder on a huge ship.

“It only takes a spark, remember to start a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony into chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke…” (James 3:5-6 in ‘the Message’).

This may seem an exaggeration, but our tongues can be used to spread words of comfort, encouragement and love or words of criticism, hurt and betrayal. I am sure many of you have seen the demonstration of trying to put toothpaste back in the tube, it’s impossible! Words, once spoken, are just like toothpaste, once spoken, they can never be taken back.

So when we open our mouths this week, let’s stop and remember the power of the tongue before we speak. Let us all try to spread words of encouragement, peace and joy and make Tiree an even better place to live. To quote Mother Teresa, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

May God’s, peace and joy be with any readers of An Tirisdeach who welcome it, Elspeth. (Rev Elspeth MacLean, Tiree Parish Church, tel 220377.)