The Bible teaches us to use our words wisely - in Proverbs 12, we encounter this passage:
17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness, But a false witness, deceit.18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Proverbs 18 goes as far as to say that:
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
It occurred to me that there is one letter of difference between "word" and "sword." Proverbs 12:18 addresses how what we say can pierce. But, what we say can also bring healing. So, death and life are in the scope of the tongue - we can use our words to build up or tear down; our words can govern our future, our reputation, our relationships, and so much more. That is why we need an infusion of God's Spirit in order to help us speak well, to speak correctly, to speak in accordance with God's intentions. Our words have been given to us; they are gifts - how will we use them?
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James chapter 3 verse 2 offers us a happy thought:
2 For we all stumble in many things.
Well, not really a "happy thought," but a good reminder nonetheless that we are all fallible because we are human, but we have a supernatural ability to walk victoriously, and one of the components involves the taming of the tongue, which James 3 addresses. Reading on now:
(2b) If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.
4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
You really do have to hold your breath sometimes during these awards shows, because there may be moments - some scripted, some, well, apparently not, that have long-term ramifications. And, it seems that the recent Golden Globe Awards had its share.
The most talked-about moment was the acceptance speech by Meryl Streep of a lifetime achievement award. According to a report on the Gospel Herald website, Streep took aim at Donald Trump, including chastising the President-elect for mocking a disabled reporter during the campaign - Trump denies that he was doing that, rather showing his "groveling," according to a tweet.
Streep is quoted as saying, according to the article:
Hugh Laurie, who received an award for best supporting actor in the limited series, The Night Manager, is credited by USA Today as having the best Trump joke of the night. He said: "I suppose it's made more amazing by the fact that I'll be able to say I won this at the last ever Golden Globes," adding, "I don't mean to be gloomy it's just that it has the words ‘Hollywood,’ ‘Foreign,’ and ‘Press’ in the title. I just don't know ... I also think to some Republicans even the word ‘association’ is slightly sketchy." He claimed to accept the award "on behalf of psychopathic billionaires everywhere."
And, host Jimmy Fallon got in on the act. According to USA Today, he said, ""People wonder what it would have been like if King Joffrey...had lived. Well, in 12 days, we’re about to find out." Joffrey is a character from Game of Thrones. He also said that, "Florence Foster Jenkins is nominated. She’s the world’s worst opera singer and yet even she turned down performing at the inauguration."
He also claimed that the awards had been tabulated by the accounting firm of "Ernst, Young & Putin."
According to the Gospel Herald, Franklin Graham posted on Facebook: "The news this morning on the Golden Globes isn't about which films won or lost, but about Meryl Streep's 6-minute speech condemning Donald J. Trump," adding, "I say, let's get behind our new President-elect and Vice President-elect Mike Pence and move forward together as a country. They've already made a lot of progress before even officially taking office, and let's pray they continue to make positive changes for the future of America."
Laurie's co-star in The Night Manager, Tom Hiddleston, who won a best actor nod, was also taken to task - apparently he was chided for making self-serving comments about how his show inspired relief workers in Africa. According to Fox News, he wrote on Facebook that his "only intention was to salute the incredible bravery and courage of the men and women who work so tirelessly for" aid workers and "the children of South Sudan." He said his speech was "inelegantly expressed."
La La Land won 7 Globes the other night, yet best actor winner Ryan Gosling was criticized for these comments, taken from the Fortune website linked to an article on The Federalist website:
That Federalist article was written by Holly Scheer, who responded to those who would label Gosling a "sexist" because of his comments and actions:
Well, the Golden Globes certainly gave plenty of material for us to think about, didn't it? Like Trump or not, He will be our President in eight days, and the Bible lays out how we are to regard our leaders - we recognize their positions, we respect the role of governmental authority, and we pray for those who are in authority. Political humor is one thing, and people like Fallon make their living doing comedy, which will involve skewering public officials. Humor is one thing, disrespect is another - and that is something we do well to learn - even when we think we're being funny, yet it comes at another's expense.
I think Hiddleston's comments were relatively mild, but I do agree that we should not brag about our philanthropic work. The Scriptures teach us that we are not to seek credit for ourselves, and if we are to boast, we boast in the Lord. And, while some of these comments may have been contrived, Hiddleston's apparently were not - I appreciate his honesty, but we can take away a sense of caution to think before we speak. And, sometimes, as it might apply to some of the Golden Globes acceptance speeches, silence would have truly been "golden."
Finally, the Gosling-Mendes faux controversy teaches us how quick we are to label the comments and actions of others. We also see that traditional family roles have been turned upside down, and it's refreshing to see the sacrifice of Mendes; and it's apparently so unusual that people do not understand. But, even in this context, the relationship does appear to possibly be outside the Biblical prescription for family structure. For married believers, it's helpful to make sure that we have a humble attitude toward our spouse.
(2b) If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.
4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
You really do have to hold your breath sometimes during these awards shows, because there may be moments - some scripted, some, well, apparently not, that have long-term ramifications. And, it seems that the recent Golden Globe Awards had its share.
The most talked-about moment was the acceptance speech by Meryl Streep of a lifetime achievement award. According to a report on the Gospel Herald website, Streep took aim at Donald Trump, including chastising the President-elect for mocking a disabled reporter during the campaign - Trump denies that he was doing that, rather showing his "groveling," according to a tweet.
Streep is quoted as saying, according to the article:
"And this instinct to humiliate when it's modeled by someone in the public platform by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody's life because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing," she said, and asked for a "principled press to hold Trump [accountable]" and to call him out "for every outrage."Talk-show host Sean Hannity was not impressed, tweeting out, "This is exactly why Hwood is DYING, what a bunch of hypocrites. Sex, violence, and drivel rule hwood. Turning the channel."
Hugh Laurie, who received an award for best supporting actor in the limited series, The Night Manager, is credited by USA Today as having the best Trump joke of the night. He said: "I suppose it's made more amazing by the fact that I'll be able to say I won this at the last ever Golden Globes," adding, "I don't mean to be gloomy it's just that it has the words ‘Hollywood,’ ‘Foreign,’ and ‘Press’ in the title. I just don't know ... I also think to some Republicans even the word ‘association’ is slightly sketchy." He claimed to accept the award "on behalf of psychopathic billionaires everywhere."
And, host Jimmy Fallon got in on the act. According to USA Today, he said, ""People wonder what it would have been like if King Joffrey...had lived. Well, in 12 days, we’re about to find out." Joffrey is a character from Game of Thrones. He also said that, "Florence Foster Jenkins is nominated. She’s the world’s worst opera singer and yet even she turned down performing at the inauguration."
He also claimed that the awards had been tabulated by the accounting firm of "Ernst, Young & Putin."
According to the Gospel Herald, Franklin Graham posted on Facebook: "The news this morning on the Golden Globes isn't about which films won or lost, but about Meryl Streep's 6-minute speech condemning Donald J. Trump," adding, "I say, let's get behind our new President-elect and Vice President-elect Mike Pence and move forward together as a country. They've already made a lot of progress before even officially taking office, and let's pray they continue to make positive changes for the future of America."
Laurie's co-star in The Night Manager, Tom Hiddleston, who won a best actor nod, was also taken to task - apparently he was chided for making self-serving comments about how his show inspired relief workers in Africa. According to Fox News, he wrote on Facebook that his "only intention was to salute the incredible bravery and courage of the men and women who work so tirelessly for" aid workers and "the children of South Sudan." He said his speech was "inelegantly expressed."
La La Land won 7 Globes the other night, yet best actor winner Ryan Gosling was criticized for these comments, taken from the Fortune website linked to an article on The Federalist website:
“While I was singing and dancing and playing piano and having one of the best experiences I ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second, and trying to help her brother fight his battle with cancer,” he said. “If she hadn’t have taken all that on so that I could have this experience, there would surely be someone else up here other than me today. So sweetheart, thank you.”"My lady" refers to actress Eva Mendes, to whom apparently Gosling may or may not be married, depending on which website you read. And, while I cannot condone the cohabitation aspect of this relationship, this humility by Ms. Mendes does represent a demonstration of a concept that marriage expert Gary Thomas said on the radio show earlier this week, as he discussed the topic of showcasing one's mate.
That Federalist article was written by Holly Scheer, who responded to those who would label Gosling a "sexist" because of his comments and actions:
Mendes, in choosing for the time being to adopt a traditional gender role, has opened herself and her husband to attack from those who deny the importance of family and children.Later in the article, she says:
Instead of micromanaging the marital decisions of a single Hollywood couple, let’s talk about all of the families without two parents. Let’s talk about the families that don’t have the option of one parent staying home with the kids, or hiring a personal nanny.
Or we could focus on the struggle of supporting family members diagnosed with cancer and the uncertainty of long-term prognosis and health. Gosling and Mendes have the right and ability to make the choices that are best for both of them and their family. Right now, that choice is Mendes putting her career on the back burner and spending the bulk of her time with the children.In closing, Scheer writes: "Mendes is fortunate to be able to be present for her child’s firsts, and Gosling is physically unable to be pregnant in her stead, so why is he sexist for thanking her for all she is doing and will continue to do? The answer is that he isn’t."
Well, the Golden Globes certainly gave plenty of material for us to think about, didn't it? Like Trump or not, He will be our President in eight days, and the Bible lays out how we are to regard our leaders - we recognize their positions, we respect the role of governmental authority, and we pray for those who are in authority. Political humor is one thing, and people like Fallon make their living doing comedy, which will involve skewering public officials. Humor is one thing, disrespect is another - and that is something we do well to learn - even when we think we're being funny, yet it comes at another's expense.
I think Hiddleston's comments were relatively mild, but I do agree that we should not brag about our philanthropic work. The Scriptures teach us that we are not to seek credit for ourselves, and if we are to boast, we boast in the Lord. And, while some of these comments may have been contrived, Hiddleston's apparently were not - I appreciate his honesty, but we can take away a sense of caution to think before we speak. And, sometimes, as it might apply to some of the Golden Globes acceptance speeches, silence would have truly been "golden."
Finally, the Gosling-Mendes faux controversy teaches us how quick we are to label the comments and actions of others. We also see that traditional family roles have been turned upside down, and it's refreshing to see the sacrifice of Mendes; and it's apparently so unusual that people do not understand. But, even in this context, the relationship does appear to possibly be outside the Biblical prescription for family structure. For married believers, it's helpful to make sure that we have a humble attitude toward our spouse.
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