Talks-a-lot...

Talkative.

Verbose.

Eloquent.

Articulate.

Looooooooooooooooooong-winded.

What do all of these words have in common? Two things: 1) They basically mean "motor-mouthy", and 2) I had to look at the thesaurus to get most of them. :)

Effusive.

Garrulous.

Wordy.

You know, as Americans, I think we talk a lot. Perhaps it has a lot to do with our democratic tendencies, both in and out of government. "All men are created" (or evolved, as the case may be) equal, thus everybody's opinion is worth something, right? Or at least, every man's opinion is equally worthy.

Expansive.

Unreserved.

Gushing.

But I wonder if, as Americans, we take advantage of that. Maybe we just keep talking, and talking, and talking...

Because society has determined that whatever pops into your head is okay to voice.

Perhaps that wouldn't be so bad, if all our actions followed through with our many words. But if we talk a lot...

...That's a LOT of actions to keep track of.

Open.

Forthcoming.

Ear-banging.

And I also wonder if we, as American Christians, have forgotten the art of thinking before saying. That phrase is often said as "think before you act"...

But shouldn't we strive to be, and to act, as good as our word?

This whole incoherent pile of thoughts came to me in church this morning. Our pastor went over the passage in John where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

He raises Lazarus from the dead. How? He speaks. Not only does he accomplish the feat which scientists and spiritualists alike have attempted since death was invented...

He does it by talking. Jesus' actions are as good as his words. Jesus' words are as good as his actions.

Jesus' actions are his words, and his words are his actions. He is the Word.

Thoughtful.

Meditative.

Discerning.

In a world of virtual reality, where email and chatspeak abound, and TV is often considered "family time" (though getting 6 people to agree on what to watch simultaneously is a victory in itself)...

In a world of virtual reality, where our standard of beauty often amounts to pretty people being digitally airbrushed into impossible glamour...

In a world of virtual reality, where truth is relative and love is sending the letters "ILU!" over the phone or computer...

I am so glad we have Jesus. I am so glad Jesus has us, actually.

I am so glad that Jesus is so eloquent that no one could ever speak as well as he does, and is yet so simple that everyone can understand him. He is the Word, after all. His standard of excellence is not belied by the depth of his love, nor is his grace forsaken for his truth.

I am so glad that Jesus cares about what he says to me. I am so glad that Jesus cares about what he does to me.

I want to be like Jesus.

(This was a really long post! Thanks for reading it all the way through, everyone! :S)