I had a very stark experience a number of years ago where I rang a particular centre for help with a confidential issue and found this marvellous woman on the other end of the line who spoke LIFE for the first time into the setting I described to her. Others had stood beside, but were all pretty much as lost in it as I, but THIS woman – THIS woman had understanding, experience and light to share which breathed hope and an aliveness I didn’t know was possible in the circumstances until that moment. From that point on I could move with hope and expectation though nothing about the setting changed. She showed me the difference between words without and words WITH – life.
Words without life don’t always sound bad. In fact they’ll be much more effective if they sound good and simply lack life. But ultimately words that inflate our knowledge banks but don’t contain life, cannot BRING life.
There was nothing in the appearance or the name of the second named tree in the Garden to alert the inhabitants of the danger. It looked beautiful. It’s fruit was appealing and the longer Eve considered it, the more it’s promises beguiled her and the less she discerned she’d been warned. In a moment she forgot that the Tree of Life was open to her and without recognising the import of her action – she partook of life-LESS-ness.
So why didn’t God call it the “Tree of Death” or “Tree of Destruction”? Why didn’t He make it ugly? Why didn’t the fruit stink or be covered in prickles or be too high up to see and desire? I’m sure there are multiple answers to those questions but the fact remains that He didn’t – “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – doesn’t even sound bad! Surely knowledge of good and evil is a good thing?! And therein lies at least ONE answer… we’re offered the equipping needed to be alert to things that look good but are bad… to things that hold a real appeal but lack the presence of Life and are therefore – dead.
A dead word will never bring life to a deadly situation.
In truth, a Living Word may not either – it can be offered and refused – but if offered and received it will do what Life does and which death can never.
I cannot conceive of how many millions of times I’ve offered dead words but I’m so grateful for those who’ve shown me the difference and help me refocus as often as is still so needed on the Source of Living Words – instead of the beguiling other with it’s own form of dead but strong appeal.
Life.
It’s beautiful.
Photo credit: David Millard