Lips that Feed

For Monday, 20 June 2005
Proverb 10:21

The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.

We live in a hungry world. While most of us may have full bellies, we nonetheless hunger. We hunger for an identity, a sense of belonging, a larger community and story to be part of.

When God created the world he spoke it into existence through his eternal Word, bringing forth abundance and food and life, all of which, when received in trust and thanksgiving, would lead to a deeper relationship with him. But our sin and ingratitude leaves us estranged from the only Word that can ultimately fill us - the very Wisdom of God - so that even the good things of God's world now leave us hungry.

But Jesus, the righteous Word spoken by Father's lips, came into our hungry world, sharing in our hunger, in order to feed us with himself. And Jesus still fills us with his Word as it is ministered to us in preaching and in his Supper. But once we share in God's abundance we can't keep this Word to ourselves.

Jean Vanier writes, "The Word became flesh, so our flesh becomes word. So that through our flesh, through our eyes and hands, and listening and attention, we reveal Christ to people." Today's proverb points in particular to how our lips might minister Christ to others - an encouraing word, a gentle rebuke, an expression of caring, the promises of the Gospel.

Sadly, the fool has nothing to share, no word than can take the edge off even his own hunger. To refuse God's own Word is to perish for no reason. May our lips be diligent to share the Word that fills, so that even onetime fools may hear and understand and, in turn, feed others.