"Some people may wonder: why was the light of God given in the form of language? How is it conceivable that the divine should be contained in such brittle vessels as consonants and vowels? This question betrays the sin of our age: to treat lightly the ether which carries the light-waves of the spirit. What else in the world is as capable of bringing man and man together over the distances in space and in time? Of all things on earth, words alone never die. They have so little matter and so much meaning. . . God took these Hebrew words and breathed into them of His power, and the words became a live wire charged with His spirit. To this very day they are hyphens between heaven and earth. What other medium could have been employed to convey the divine? Pictures enameled on the moon? Statues hewn out of the Rockies?" - Abraham Heschel
I remember a conversation I had with a good friend and Bible professor. A student of ours had written the lyrics to several songs on the walls of his dorm room. The lyrics were racist, vulgar, and profane. The student repeatedly said, "But they are just words to a song, they don’t mean anything. I just like the music." I will never forget my friend’s response to the student. "They are not just words; they are the words you have chosen to represent yourself. Out of all the words, in all the songs, across all of time, you chose these words to represent you and your thoughts. They are not just words; they are your words."
There is some depth to that. I always chose my words carefully, but that was a distinct reminder that of all the words across all of time, these are the words I chose for this moment and for myself. I suppose the same could be true for the words I hear or read. Of all the words in the universe, I chose to hear or read these words. "Of all things on earth, words never die. They have so little matter and so much meaning . . . hyphens between heaven and earth." It is words that connect us to God and help us to know Him.
