Ways, precepts, statutes, decrees, laws,commands, righteous … from Psalm 119I love words.
They provide a reality check on how I am feeling. I love accents in languages as well. Accents seem to offer new meanings to old words. Words do not mean the same things to different people. If I say that Poole Church “is in the middle of nowhere”, what does it say ? If I say that Poole Church “is in an idyllic rural setting near Stratford. Ontario”, what does it say ? Words are so important.
In Psalm 119, the writer gives us many different ways to talk about how to live into God. The ones I mention above are just a few examples from the Psalm. Why does Hebrew have so many words on how to get to God ? Do they have the same meaning or not ? I think the writer has a great purpose in choosing these words in this Psalm. I believe he chooses every word carefully.
Malcolm Gladwell, David Bergen. Miriam Toews. Brian McLaren.Luke. Psalmist. Isabelle Allende, Tom Yoder Neufeld. These are some of my favourite authors. I love authors who use less words to teach about difficult concepts. The two books that our book study group have looked at are those kinds of writers. What kind of writer do you like ? Fiction or non-fiction or memoir ?
Words are so important. We should not talk about people who have nerve problems. These are people who live with mental illness. The US generals do not talk about retreat from Afghanistan, but ,“ retrograde”. Jesus didn’t just die on the cross. He was murdered as a political enemy of the Empire .
Prayer Words matter Lord, When we call you Lord, it’s personal, political, it says who you are in our life, both Saviour and Lord. Help us to speak the right words to each other and to the world. AMEN
Fred
Soaring like Vultures lifted up by unseen Hands Trust, silent enters my fears Monica Pieper Landoni 2021
