Sunday Reflection: Words, words, words

Today's reflection is brought to you by Psalm 19.










O God,
I've come to a place
where I am tired of words.

I like to think that
you gave us two ears
and one mouth
for obvious reasons.

But we seem
to have gotten mixed up somewhere.

Some of us think
that every word in The Bible
was literally spoken by you
(even the words about violence and vengeance).

We forget that you are compassion and love.

We've gotten into the habit
of thinking that we have to use
many fancy words
to address you,
multitudes of words
repeated endlessly to implore your mercy.

We forget that it's already ours.

Perhaps you'd prefer fewer words
and more silence --
so that we can hear you
in the spaces between all those words.

Only you
have the (gently spoken) words
of everlasting life:
perfect, reviving words,
words that are pure and wise,
full of what's right,
of clarity and light,
enduring and true,
finer than gold,
and sweeter than honey, too.

Thank you, God,
for your gift of words.

Heaven knows I've spoken too many.

I'll listen now.

+Amen.