Sticks and Stones

Two proverbs, one true and one untrue. Guess which one is in the Bible.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

You probably guessed correctly. It is the second one and is from Proverbs 12.18. 

I hope you will hear me out, as I deal with a sensitive subject. I count it an honor to be an under-shepherd to the Good Shepherd of Trinity, and am sober about how I steward my position. Words matter, and we have seen their destructive power this week. Just about everyone, from far right to far left, said something similar this week. From Senator Ted Cruz to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, “words matter” was a similar sentiment.

What is your word intake? Who are you listening to? Who is informing your view of the world? Are you a CNN person or OAN? Are you Parler or Facebook? It matters. Words matter. 

I had a few close encounters in 2020 with a man influenced by Q-anon. Maybe you saw shirts and flags at the Capitol Building on January 6th that had “Q” on them? Knowing I was the pastor at Trinity he came to exert pressure on me at my front door. He wanted me to use the pulpit to inform all of you about the things he was believing. Then he came to worship with us outdoors a few weeks later. He stayed after and made some threatening comments to the point that I felt compelled to involve the Senior Lead Officer of the LAPD. Let me tell you, God has demonstrated his favor on our town by giving us the Senior Lead Officer Gonzalez. What a clear, strong, experienced and compassionate communicator. He gave me a brief training in what we should do in the event of an act of violence, especially while gathered outside. By the way, we are to all run in every direction. Pastor and interns are to help those with mobility difficulties into a locked room. God, in your mercy may this never happen at Trinity or anywhere else in our city!

Next Officer Gonzalez helped me see through the threatening and conspiratorial comments from this man, and into what must be a very wounded individual. “There is no excuse for his crimes and threats, but he is probably looking for you to reject him like everyone else around him. He is looking for a sense of belonging and has found it in this group.” Q-anon is like a gang or a club that has a steep entry fee, but a deep sense of belonging once you are in. The words he was listening to had formed him deeply. He believed lies, and was willing to harm others or himself for these lies. When I explained the way of Jesus, the crucified and risen Lamb of God to him, he responded that the way of Jesus wasn’t going to accomplish the crusade that needed to happen in our country. He then predicted in a chilling manner, the violence and destruction that we saw with our own eyes on January 6th. Words matter.

I find that when my word intake is more news and social media I am more anxious and angry. When the first word belongs to God, I begin from a place of peace and truth. Words matter. Take the Moravian Daily Texts from January 1st as an example. “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. Leviticus 19.11 Words matter. God agrees! When we deal falsely and lie to one another, our community is damaged. Our relationships become shaken and untrustworthy. If you can’t trust someone because they are always posting conspiracies, how can you believe them when they post about Jesus and his mercy? But God shows us that he is devoted to truth and truth-telling. Jesus is the truth (John 14). You can believe everything God says in his word. 

The other Daily Text for January 1st, and maybe the whole year, is a timely exhortation, “Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3.8-9).

If you would like to discuss this sensitive subject or other recent tumults, I am available and would count it of high importance in my schedule. Of course, I won’t have all the answers, but I have ears and a heart for you. And, we can share the precious gift of prayer.

I encourage you to read more about Q-anon from these respected sources:

FAQ from the Gospel Coalition on Q-anon: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-faqs-what-christians-should-know-about-qanon/

Ed Stetzer of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College wrote for USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/09/04/qanon-and-evangelicals-its-time-address-qanoners-column/3446756001/