Speech That Is Kindly

Duncan Sinclair

Much time and thought are given nowadays to ensure correctness of speech. It is well that it should be so, for one who can express himself grammatically and clearly is much more likely to catch the ear of his audience, and hold its attention, than one who has a meager vocabulary and a poor delivery. Whoever has listened to an orator is aware of that.

Knowing the value of correct expression, parents with their children's interest at heart seek to have the latter educated along this line. What an asset it is to a youth to be able to speak properly, to clothe his thoughts in language which has the stamp of culture upon it! But this necessitates study, study of language to obtain a varied vocabulary, study of literature to become acquainted with the best in style, study of the art of expression.

It is not enough, however, that one's speech should be cultured. One might be able to talk properly from the point of view of the grammarian and the stylist, and yet his speech might be highly undesirable. He might even have the eloquence of a Demosthenes, and yet possess a heart loveless and compassionless. What then would be the value of his eloquence? Paul states the Christianly attitude of thought on this theme in the thirteenth chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians (13:1): "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity [love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." Speech, to be truly worthy, must flow from a heart inspired by love. If it lack this inspiration, it may amount to little more than meaningless sound.

Ranking far higher in many respects than an eloquent tongue is a gentle one, a kindly one—a loving one. The wise man says (Proverbs 16:24), "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones;" and (15:1), "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." How true are his words! How often we have seen anger stilled by gentleness of speech prompted by thought that knows the power of reflected Love! How often we have experienced the gladdening influence of words that sprang from sympathy based on a knowledge of divine Love's omnipresence and omnipotence. As students of Christian Science, we have proved time and again in our experience, and have seen proved frequently in the experience of others, the powerlessness of evil in the presence of the understanding of the omnipotence of good, expressed in kindly speech.

How are the purity and gentleness of heart to be attained which will enable us so to regulate our speech that it will always be wise and helpful? How is kindliness of speech to be fostered? Christian Science answers the questions by teaching men how to be loving and good. And one of its fundamental truths is that man—the real man—is loving and good, since he reflects God, good, who is Love. Mrs. Eddy writes in her Message to The Mother Church for 1902 (p. 8), "Is it necessary to say that the likeness of God, Spirit, is spiritual, and the likeness of Love is loving?" Man is spiritual, and man is loving. We should therefore deny the fallacy which would have us believe that man is unloving and lacking in goodness. That is what, in belief, mortal mind—the carnal mind—is trying to do unceasingly. We should oppose the false belief, and so protect ourselves against its seeming power. We should affirm the truth about our true nature as the children of God, and express goodness and love in our thought. Thus will our speech become unfailingly kindly and helpful.

We have the example of the Master in regard to speech as to other things pertaining to Christian living. Sometimes he refrained from saying anything. There is the notable occasion, for example, on which he "with his finger wrote on the ground" (John 8:6), and spoke not when first the woman who was a sinner was brought before him by her pitiless accusers. Sometimes he spoke with vehemence, as when he cleared the money-changers and those who sold doves out of the temple. "It is written," he said, "My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves" (Matthew 21:13). But though Jesus expressed himself thus strongly on occasion, can we doubt the depth of his love, even as he spoke, for poor, materially-minded humanity?

Those who would be wise and kindly of speech humbly pray the prayer of the Psalmist (Psalms 19:14), "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." Praying thus, we pray not in vain. God, who is the source of all love, all good, withholds naught that is loving and good from His children. Man reflects divine power and, as it is written on page 514 of Science and Health, "Tenderness accompanies all the might imparted by Spirit." This tenderness cannot possibly fail to show itself in speech that is kindly.

Duncan Sinclair

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