The woods are not silent these days. For much of the day, sounds of birds echo through the trees as harbingers of spring arriving. There are no words, and yet we hear the world speak to us.

In Shakespeare’s As You Like It, The Duke in the forest says, “And this, our life exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything. I would not change it.” Like the trees our actions speak louder than our voices.

Perhaps you have seen a poster in Christian churches that expands upon the Apostle Paul, saying, “Pray ceaselessly, and if necessary, use words.” We Unitarian Universalists are generally suspicious of religious language, avoiding wordy piety and habits that may “bind the mind to narrow thought and lifeless creed.”

However, at the same time, we love words and know their power to open the mind to new vistas and greater truth. We celebrate children who have reached the Age of Reading. Together we should encourage each other to speak more clearly not only with our lives but with our words as well. We should encourage thoughtful, educated and respectful use of religious language in the culture around us.

Peace,
Thomas