Did you ‘SAY’ something?

Sometime ago Dharavi was considered to be Asia’s largest slum which houses nearly 60,000 families.The new reports say that Karachi’s Orangi township has surpassed Dharavi now. Mexico City's Neza-Chalco-Itza barrio has four times as many people as Dharavi and is the world’s biggest slum, the report says.

According to the residents of Dharavi, apart from extreme poverty,malnutrition,crime and illiteracy, one of the harshest problems which they face is fire ! Usually these slums are temporary settlements and the material with which they construct them is mostly flammable and these houses serve as ready fuel to the spreading flame. Most of the time its impossible to extinguish the fire and people just wait for it to consume all the houses which it could devour and then they start rebuilding their homes from the scratch. Many lives are lost and lot of properly is burnt to the ground. Usually it’s someone’s small mistake which causes this havoc. Most of the times it’s due a lighted cigarette or a match stick thrown carelessly.

Just Think. A single match- only a few inches long with a small piece of burning material at the end. But watch what happens when the little thing is ignited. Notice how that negligible spark grows into a flicker and then into a flame. Then how it engulfs everything which and everyone who comes in its path and consumes and leaves it and them to ashes. Then consider this..

The tongue is capable of this kind of ruin and more ! The Bible says “ Behold, how great a manner a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell” (James 3:5-6) When one witnesses a real fire, its impossible to miss James’ point. Despite its relative size, an uncontrolled tongue can wreak unimaginable havoc in our lives.

Imagine how many relational ties have been severed because of tactless speech. Imagine how many friendships have ended as a result of gossip. Imagine how many marriages have been seared by hot-tempered and inflammatory language. Imagine how many congregations and groups have split because of lies uttered under the veil of envy. Imagine how many leaders have lost their influence as a result of false rumour and slander. Imagine how many people have lost their faith due to deceitful and false talk. Imagine how many young women have sacrificed their virginity misled by empty flattery (flirtatious talk). Imagine how many potential leaders of men have been brought low because of arrogant boasting. Imagine how many promising teens have invalidated their example by foolish jesting. Imagine how many tender hearts have been crushed by mockery and ridicule.

Yes, “ the tongue is a ball of fire”. Dear friends, each of us needs to pause and reflect on the harm our tongue can inflict during a simple conversation. Our words are powerful, they can help or they can consume.

If it’s important for those slum dwellers to be careful with their burnt match sticks, don’t we need to be even more careful with every word our lips utter?