Howard's "Little Monkey"

Words matter!

Yes, you read that correctly, words matter and they matter a lot.

Within the Judeo-Christian tradition there is an emphatic warning against the reckless use of words. For example in the Epistle of James we read:

“This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!"

Within the wisdom literature of the Hebrew Scriptures we find this contrast:

“Rash language cuts and maims,

 but there is healing in the words of the wise.”

Writes the Apostle Paul on the use of words:

“Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.”

So words do matter. 

Words cannot be retracted; once uttered they just hang there and take on a whole life of their own.

I remember many years ago the once popular sports broadcaster Howard Cosell (1918-1995) made a career damaging comment during a 1983 Monday Night Football game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. 

Cosell referred to the Redskins’ wide receiver Alvin Garrett as a “little monkey.”

Cosell was immediately vilified for the comment, accused of being a racist in spite of his assurances that he was not. Regardless his comment struck a nerve at the time and Cosell’s career as a sports announcer took an immediate nosedive.

Yes Cosell’s words that night took on a life of their own and sadly he will be remembered not so much for his extraordinarily colorful commentary on many of the major sporting events of his day but rather for his unfortunate “little monkey” comment.

Of course I will always remember his famous words at the conclusion of the Joe Frazier vs George Foreman fight: 

“Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!” 

Or his repeated mantra on Monday Night Football that have has become iconic in the industry: 

“He could go all the way!”

Cosell was a gifted and a unique broadcaster. Unfortunately he allowed two little words to shipwreck his stellar career. Were they a slip of the tongue? Were they reflective of a deep racism? Who knows.

But words matter.

Words may be used to tear down, disrupt, divide, denigrate, or deprecate another human being. 

Yet words may also be used to edify, encourage, motivate, strengthen, or lift up another human being. 

They may be hopeful words, words that build up rather than tear down, words that honor another’s humanity rather than denigrate a person, words that invite hospitality and extend generosity.

Words can be generative: Live giving, full of grace and compassion. They can be.

Words indeed matter and the Bible is very clear about how important it is to be judicious in the way we use words either to do harm or to do good.

So as a follower of Jesus I should be very cautious and careful of the words I use. The words I use will reveal my character or my own core values or my deepest convictions about life and God. 

Words serve as the window into one’s soul. They say a lot about a person and what's in a person's heart.

I suppose my dear grandmother was right when she would offer me the following advice more than once: 

“If you can’t something good about somebody then say nothing at all.”

Perhaps this will give us all pause to consider how we use words, whether in personal conversations, or on our social media networks, or speaking in public. 

Words matter! 

They sure do.