And God said, Let there be light:and there was light.
Gen 1:3
I committed to write 500 words per day for the month of January to change my habit of writing. What was now and then will become regular.
This made me think about words. The first time words are mentioned in the bible is right in the beginning: Vayomer Elohim. The dictum of God. The words of God.
According to the first law of mention we see the concept of something in its first mention, and subsequent mentions add flavor or fill in details. What does that mean for the concept of speaking, the notion of words?
Words create.
That is no great news, you might think. Because last time you read a book, the words created a picture in your mind, didn’t they? That is why it is so disappointing to watch the movie made from the book afterwards, as the movie portrays the pictures in someone else’s mind – which differ from yours.
But that is not all. It has been found that pictures actually rewire our brains. New associations are formed, new links between bits of knowledge. Your world view is changed. This happens much more with pictures you create yourself from a set of words than with pictures just presented to you on TV or screen – but that’ll do too.
And wait what happens next: your speech is influenced by the pictures in your head. Your belief system, the information you own, triggered by your surroundings, shape the words you speak.
Words spoken then have a twofold effect: first they form new pictures in the mind of people listening – which is true for the written word as well – and secondly, they become sound waves.
Modern physics tells us that waves and matter are the same. They also tell us that on a sub particle level, there is no action and reaction, but that the effect is multiplied. God spoke, and there was. This universe is the reaction to God’s words, and it keeps on being created – expanding, forming new stars.
Now you say that this is true for God, but how about us?
It is easy to see the immediate effect of words. Negative and positive words change the mood of the hearer, and maybe not only his mood, but his belief system: “You will never amount to anything” has a very different, yet potentially longer lasting effect than “You are beautifully and wonderfully made”. More over, the effect goes on: the person you just tore down or lifted up, turns around and potentially does the same to others. Others plural. And many times. The person reacts to you differently every time you see this person on the future. And maybe you interact with people that person touched. You get the drift. You get back multiplied what you invested.
Just a simple example: I have to live with the outcome of my speaking over and to and about my kids daily for a lifetime. Thankfully, there is forgiveness that can alter the effect to the positive. For yesterday’s words built the presence, but today’s build the future.
And that is just on a classical physical level – Newton. How much more on the level of quantum physics.
And I did not talk about John 1:14 yet:
And so the Word became flesh and took a place among us for a time; and we saw his glory – such glory as is given to an only son by his father – saw it to be true and full of grace.
John 1:14
I will write some 15’000 words this month alone.
What a privilege. What a responsibility!
Choose your words wisely.
Any thoughts?