Roxanne Wilson, wife of South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, says in a new video posted to YouTube that she couldn't believe her husband was "the nut" who shouted out during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress last week. In case you haven't heard, Congressman Wilson interrupted a Congressional address by President Obama by yelling out "you lie."
At the annual MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West grabbed the microphone from Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech for Best Female Video in order to tell the audience, "I'm sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time." Within one hour there were 293,024 tweets (on Twitter) attacking Kanye.
After a line judge at the US Open made a call against Serena Williams during the semifinal match, Williams exploded with rage, threatening the judge. She accused the judge of making a bad call and screamed she would cram the tennis ball down the judge's throat. A worldwide audience heard her yelling profanities and she was forced to forfeit the match. It wasn't a flattering moment for one of the best tennis players in the world.
These outbursts—fueled by passion, arrogance, rage, or any combination thereof—have served primarily to damage the reputations of the speakers and create an ugly backlash.
James, a New Testament writer, had this to say about the tongue: "the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell" (James 3: 5-6).
How could these incidents have been avoided? The answer lies in the advice that we were all probably given when we were children: "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all." This time-honored axiom echoes a truth recorded in the Bible several millennia ago: "He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive" (Proverbs 17:28).
In other words, take some time to think before you speak. There's no need to let the first thought that pops into your mind pop out of your mouth. Rather, take time to ask yourself before speaking: Will it be constructive? Will it be useful? Or, like the three recent examples flooding our media at present, will it only light a fire of controversy and hurt feelings?
James was right. The tongue can produce disaster if not controlled. If we are willing to hold our words rather than spouting them as they come to us, and follow the biblical admonitions, we can avoid the embarrassment that was experienced by Congressman Wilson, Kanye and Serena. And we won't have to publicly apologize over and over again.
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