I already know that my mouth can be a powerful tool to achieve benefits for myself and co-workers during contract negotiations, to join two people in marriage or pray for a soul’s every lasting peace in my role as a minister, and as a champion for the chronically ill and disabled when I talk about the challenges of living with an autoimmune disease. But,  my mouth can also spew profanity, anger, and complaints when I’m having a bad moments or a bad day.

As a person of faith, I’ve wrestled with this. So I was torn when I saw priests in “Wake Up Dead Man,” the third installment of the “Knives Out” series were using profanity. Growing up, I believed priests and pastors were above reproach because they are closer to God. The reality is they are merely humans, fallible, flawed and seeking the same connection to something greater than themselves like the rest of us. 

There are many places in the Bible that tell us we should hold our tongues, especially when the only goal is to tear someone down. So I strive to control the words I utter in peace and in anger. I resolve to vocalize ideas and thoughts that inspire the best in myself and others. 

As an aside, I stated writing this hours before I learned of the death of Rob Reiner, who directed some of the TV shows and films were apart of my formative years. His work challenged me at times and his activism was refreshing. He certainly used his words in a way he felt was to entertain and enlighten. I think as a journalist, writer and human being I attempt to do the same, but for me, I want to go forward doing this with less cussing. 

#knivesout #faith #autoimmunedisease  #chronicpain #invisibleillness #faith #christmassweatercountdown #profanity  #wakeupdeadman #robreiner