Ukraine

I have no words for what's happening.....
Let me be clear. I love words. I enjoy playing with them, experimenting with them, creating moods and emotions with them. As a regular public speaker I know that words are powerful and have the ability to bind people or free them, to build them up or tear them down, to create a mood and even to manipulate crowds. We do well to use them wisely.
I love discovering new words.
As an example of some new acquisitions, did you know that the space between your eyebrows is called a glabella or that the day after tomorrow is called the over-morrow? Full marks if you did!
There are some words and idioms I prefer not to use -indeed I find it difficult to take seriously those who talk about reaching out to someone rather than talking to them, those who curate a conversation rather than have a chat or those people pivot rather than take an alternative route.
When I went to work in Uganda, a colleague offered a word of advice… he suggested that learning the new vocabulary was only the start of understanding the people I was to live among. That type of knowledge allowed me to be able to translate and communicate at a basic level. What I needed to learn, he suggested, was how to interpret the words, to get behind them - as words can be used to deflect, to deny, to tell lies and hide emotions. To put you off the scent were his actual words as I recall. We all have an innate ability to do this ourselves, to put people of the scent.
How are you today, we are asked. Fine we answer – although the truth is we are in a dark place. How’s the family? Great – although we are really concerned about one of our children. We are told it is good to talk. I’m sure that is true in many cases. But, for me at least, it is equally as important to listen to others, to get behind their words, to engage at a deeper level as therein lies the treasure -– to engage with the real human being behind the words.
As people of faith we believe that we are created in God’s image to share his love. We can express this love in words, but, to me at least, Love is better demonstrated in our actions, our care, our understanding, our willingness to listen to those who are voiceless as silence is also a method of communication – but one, perhaps, significantly under- used.
Back in the beginning, God’s words called the universe into existence and gave it form. His son, Jesus, the word of God, showed his love through his actions. He invested in building people up, being a friend, in listening and in that space, making people whole. That is our calling… to go beyond words