Mouth of Knives/Death By Tongue

Murder occurs in the heart, and cuts from the mouth.

That's what Jesus said. Matthew 5:22.

Why do people believe our childhoods matter so much and yet raise us so poorly?

My brother spent near a decade in post-secondary schooling to work in Hades' closet.

My mother stopped me one day, while I was in the middle of ironing a favorite light blue cotton button-up.

“What is it your brother is doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“He's...talking about making something...technology. I don't understand.”

As second generation Haitian, born in the United States, I regularly have the privilege of re-explaining Western concepts others fail to explain to my parents.

“He created an app...an application”

Her face suggests bewilderment. I re-evaluate and reattempt.

“An application that goes on the iPad, you know, the iPhone?”

“Oh,” she understands, she's been fixated on owning one, for no particularly reason but to own one.

She grins of pride, “you know, he was always good at computers. I don't know why he never did that as a job”

My brother has miserably worked in the medical profession for near a decade now.

I almost don't want to explain this.

“He told me when he was fourteen....you told him how computers were a waste of time....that there was no money in them”

The smile cleared and apologies were made, though to the garage air, but the cold box would not receive them.

Ignorance, yes. Lack of knowledge, yes. An unwillingness to peer into future possibilities, to take a chance on your own children, to make a bet on their success, yes.

What occurred that day, however hot it was, was murder. An idea died that day, a dream choked, a bird had its wings clipped. For whatever lack of follow-up there was on his part (there is that), but first and foremost: he suffered an inner death.

…......

Years ago...I wonder about years ago and the young overweight girl in my Kindergarten class.

How I teased her with the aid of evil classmates, how I'm sure I killed her with my careless words, years ago. The senseless anger of a child, likely learned somewhere.

We do not have the opportunity of taking back the things we say, so let us closely watch our doctrine and our speech.

May we protect future innocents, and tame our tongues.

“We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. “
-James 3:2-8

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