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February 19th 2010
Xanthus was a Greek philosopher who lived in the Golden Days of Greece. One day, to prepare for a very important dinner party he was to host, he said to his servant, “Please go to the market and buy the best things you can find for my dinner party tonight. I have distinguished guests coming and want to honour them.”
After Xanthus and his friends sat around the large table, the food service began. The servant set in front of each guest an appetizer of pickled tongue, followed by a main course of broiled tongue with a side of fried tongue. For dessert the guests received a plate of candied tongue.
Xanthus was furious! “What have you done you foolish servant? Every course you set before my guests was tongue!”
“But sir,” he responded, “You instructed me to go to the market and buy the best thing I could find – with our tongues we encourage our friends, teach our children and worship our Creator. Surely the tongue is the greatest of all!”
Xanthus couldn’t argue with the rational of his servant so he responded, “Okay I understand – so tomorrow I have invited my guests back for another dinner party. Go to the market and buy the worst thing you can find!”
You can guess what the servant did.
That evening for dinner he served another five course meal of only tongue.
Again the philosopher was enraged and reprimanded his servant. “But sir,” the man protested, “You told me to buy the worst thing in the market. Surely the tongue must be the most evil – with our tongues we can discourage and humiliate our friends, we lie and gossip, we even blaspheme our God!”
The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to some churches in Ephesus (in our modern day Turkey) in which he instructed them, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Think of your words as gifts to others!”
I’m in agreement with both Xanthus’ servant and the Apostle Paul. I know from experience how I’ve hurt people I love by using my sharp tongue as a weapon. Usually it’s been when I don’t take time to think before I respond. My quick retort may have been used as a defense for hurt I’ve felt, or even in jest, but the damage it has caused is not quick to heal.
Thankfully I’ve also used my same tongue as a healing salve. Those occasions when someone feels encouraged or comforted by my words have had a positive effect on both the other person and me.
I’m learning that it’s a choice in every conversation I have, whether to use my tongue as an instrument of peace or of destruction. God help us chose the former!
- Barry Buzza
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