January 2007

I’ve never been a fan of the TV show Big Brother. I hate the voyeuristic intention of the whole format and I struggle with the lack of morality reportedly shown by many of the contributors. However I still find myself surprised that the show has recently plummeted to even lower standards. Accusations of racism and bitchiness abound in our newspapers as offensive and hurtful words fly round the BB establishment. Further proof, if it were ever needed, that the saying ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ is rubbish.

The words we say to our housemates wherever we live mean a great deal. Those things which are said in the heat of an argumentative moment or in a semi-drunken stupor, make a difference. And the opportunities that we deliberately avoid to offer words and expressions of love and gentleness count too. But there is more to it than that. In the same principle of the Big Brother house, there is someone watching who takes notice of what we say and, indeed, what we decide not to say, someone who cares about the opinions we quietly express and who takes notice of even the private thoughts we try to hide away in our hearts.

Almighty God is not some tyrant who is ready to trip us up because of a few ill-chosen sentences said in a moment of despair, but he is interested in the thoughts of our hearts and the words of our lips when they betray the depths of our sin. The psalmist tells about God knowing what we are about to say even before the word is on our lips, he knows the thoughts of our hearts. But he doesn’t store up those words in a data-base of evidence to stack against us, he simply longs for us to understand that he is there to help us form better thoughts and more encouraging words.

We are all equal, whatever our colour, gender, age or size. We are all created in the image of God and we are all equally loved by him. As part of that he longs for us to be like him in offering words and thoughts of peace, grace and love to all people. Ill chosen words do hurt, but well chosen words make a very positive difference in somebody’s life too. Why not today determine to say something nice, something loving or something up-building to a stranger, you never know who else might be watching!

With love,

Peter