The Ripple Effect

James 3:4-6-"Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell." (NAS) As a boy, I can recall a few occasions where I came upon a perfectly still pond or lake. In a scrambling moment, I had to find a rock or something to skip or toss into the middle of the water. It was almost a compulsion. Splash! And suddenly the perfection of the reflection would be shattered as the stone penetrated the image. Ripples would course outward in an ever-growing set of concentric circles from the point of impact. These ripples would warp the remaining image as they passed through it. It would take minutes or an hour for the surface to return to the original quiet state. Likewise, a word spoken in anger or ignorance of the situation, or without grace and mercy, can be a spiritual knife that causes grievous wounds. When this happens, ripples appear on the surface again, either for good or for ill. A life touched in either direction will ripple outward to the people they know. "Do you know what a wonderful thing that church did for us?" Or, "Did you hear what awful thing happened to ... ?" Call it gossip, call it whatever you like. But the word will get around in either case. How many lives are affected there? Far more than one life is affected, and the ripples go out from there to others. The Bible says in Psalm 126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." (NAS) and the Bible also says in Proverbs 15:4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit. (NAS) A tongue filled with laughter and praise is a reflection of a heart filled to overflowing with the joy of the Lord. What a joy it is just to be with someone whose heart is full. A soothing tongue, a tongue that can say "I accept you where you are," or "I appreciate your questions" without offense or bitterness, is a secure place someone can go for help without fear of judgment, condemnation or censure. The ripples that flow from this place reach far, and heal families and towns. And once those people learn to live in that security, the ripples of the love of Jesus start all over again