Elections, Being Nice, and Bad Words

A few days ago, the UCC Daily Devotional focused on "bad words."  It made me think of a recent conversation with someone who had been brought up in New England and how, after living in Oregon for nearly 10 years, still didn't feel like they belong here.  I reminded them about the phenomenon of "Oregon Nice", something I was told about when I got here, and how challenging it could be for us New Englanders who are more direct, more prickly perhaps, and pretty squishy when you get under our thick skins. 

[Jesus said,] “The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” – Luke 6:45 (NRSV) 

It also made me think about our election season and how I find myself listening for the words behind the words. Am I hearing only the "nice words," or can I hear when their policy proposals are outside of my values and would likely cause harm to the most

vulnerable in the community? Am I willing to use "bad words" to call them out, especially if I really like that person. Am I being a prophetic witness or am I living by Thumper’s mother's words, from the Disney classic Bambi - “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

By "bad words" I don't mean swearing or cussing. I mean the words that are so often experienced as confrontational. Words that have the potential to create conflict. Words that, as a New Englander, I may be more comfortable using and need to remind myself that I'm not in Camden anymore!

When I think about how we use words, I wonder what we can learn from Thumper's mother words and Martha Spong's words in this week's devotional? I think Martha's questions are worth pondering.

1. When have you put a “bad” word to good use? Have you ever put a “good” word to not-so-good use? 

2. What are your expectations for how people—including how you yourself—critique public figures? 

3. Think about a time when someone’s hard, challenging words prompted you to shift your thinking. 

These questions make me think about the ways mainstream pundits and newscasters use "nice words" to soften a story about certain crimes and atrocities while using "bad words" to blame victims and scapegoat the "least of these." It reminds me that how we use words is part of the way we maintain power and privilege, both for ourselves and of those at the top.

Jesus was not a person to shy away from using "bad words". He frequently called out the leaders and people around him who were saying one thing and doing another. In Matthews Gospel, he calls the Teachers of the Law "snakes" and "vipers" for their hypocrisy and pride, even as he weeps over Jerusalem for the devastation their behaviors have brought upon the people and these leaders themselves.

Jesus' witness reminds me that I can use "bad words" to lovingly call out those whom I believe can and should do better, and how simply being "nice" can enable the very thing I am seeking to avoid. It also reminds me that calling someone out from a place of love requires a level of compassion that is so often lost in the heat of the moment.

I'd love to hear what you think about Martha Spong's questions and talk about the ways our words harm and heal each other and our world. Leave a comment below and let's get the conversation started.

May we be willing to risk "bad words" for the sake of the Beloved Community and may our "nice words" truly be an expression of the abundance of our heats.

Pastor Robin