Fear of Words

Not only is the pen mightier than the sword, it is also much more fearsome.

Interesting perspective on the day we commemorate the life of one of the greatest word-wielders of all time, The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, at a moment when all of Europe is uniting behind the idea that those who fear words most must be deprived of their swords once and for all.

Terrorists lack the capacity to fight fire with fire, that is, to match words and wits with those who chastise and criticize them. We have witnessed worldwide the cowardice with which terrorists proceed. They shield themselves behind innocent women and children. They bomb the unsuspecting. They conspire to kill thousands of non-combatants. They strap explosive devices to children and send them to do their killing for them. These are not swords they wield. Rather they are simple, cheap daggers that the cowardly use to backstab those who would not fight, and could not fight, anyway.

When someone faces them and reprises with words, they recoil in fear and anger. They lash out with more cheap weapons. Rather than step up, show themselves, and brave the indignation with spoken or written response they hide in caves and send brainwashed fools to carry out their cowardly vengeance. They cannot fight honest words, they cannot even speak them. And they do all of this behind the mask of faith in a God who would never support their actions.

Words are so powerful mainly because they are so deniable! One can ignore words. One can refute words. One can wage non-destructive battle with words. Words can sometimes be taken back or reversed. Words can be forgotten, or they can be remembered always. When all arms have been laid down, words can last through the ages.

One can be far more surgical with words than with a sword. Carefully crafted, words can make hearts rise and fall. Words can move nations. Whether warrior or not, the wielder of words can always be powerful or choose to be gentle.

And though a great wielder of words like Dr. King may have his mortal life taken by a pathetic weak fool with a sword, the power, the glory, and the majesty of his words can be immortal. The simple words, “I have a dream” still resonate loudly fifty years later and will continue to do so for generations to come. Dr. King may not have gotten there with us, but his words did.