Gracious Speech

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." Col 4:6

Each morning, I spend a few minutes reading the news online. I don't usually turn on the television because I do not like to start my day listening to commentators who do not know how to be gracious or to speak with integrity. I do not like to start my day listening to any politician or their supporters who season their speech with way too much salt and who have no clue what the words tact or graciousness mean. All of those accusations without an iota of evidence is really becoming wearisome. Many reporters forget that in this country we are innocent until proven guilty. According to scripture there needs to be witnesses in order to convict. There is so much bad news, both in content and in presentation, that I have find it needful to not read or listen to very much of it.

Each morning as I read the news, I stumble across at least a few errors in grammar, spelling, facts, etc.. Because of these errors false information is often given. I know and confess that I make an awful lot of grammatical and spelling errors in these daily blogs that I write. I am also not always the most tactful. I do not have an editor. I write like I speak and consequently mistakes are made. I am not a professional writer. I spend very little time in writing these blogs as they are a hobby. I do not make a living writing these blogs. However, I do believe that professional reporters and editors who are paid to communicate the news to us ought to actually edit what they are writing before they print it so that the news is communicated to us accurately and without attempts to get us to worship their gods as they try to shove their personal bias' down our throats.

Communicating properly is a gift that is greatly needed in our news media, indeed in the world. Yes, a little salt in the news is a good thing. But, a little more graciousness would help others to hear and understand more clearly.    

May God help us all to be a bit more gracious when we open our mouths or place our fingers on a keyboard in attempts to communicate ideas or facts.

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. Just wondering how many grammatical errors I just made..

Fake And Biased News

Whoever winks maliciously causes grief,
    and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals
    violence.

Hatred stirs up conflict,
    but love covers over all wrongs.

Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,
    but a rod is for the back of one who has no

    sense.

The wise store up knowledge,
    but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

                                           (Prov 10:10-14 NIV)

I am back in Proverbs this morning after reading the morning news. There was a lot of that senseless chattering going on. Some of it is fake; but, mostly it is a biased promoting of political agendas rather than the actual reporting of the news. Rather than reveal the real news that is happening around the country and the world; news that might motivate people to step up and help others rather than harm; the news reveals a hatred for those who do not agree with the newscasters' or the stations' opinions and/or political stances. There appears to be very little love and even less wisdom. Their mouths are invitations to division and the ruination of a free world through hatred, slander and more violence.

May God help us to understand that the hatred and anger that is being broadcast daily will bring us to our end. May He teach us to love one another as He loves us all so that we might live in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J