Soft Words

“Soft Words turns away anger, but a sharp word makes tempers hot. A wise man’s tongue spreads knowledge, but a stupid man’s tongue talks nonsense.” Proverbs 15 v 1-3
The wind and the sun were arguing over which was the stronger. As they argued they noticed a traveller making his way across the country side below. “I’II tell you what,” exclaimed the wind, “the one that makes that person below take off his coat will be the stronger one.” So, the sun accepted the challenge. “As it was my idea,” continued the wind, “I’ II go first”. So, the wind swept down on the traveller and blew gust after gust at him, whipping fiercely at the coat. All that happened, was that the man grabbed his coat and wrapped it even tightly around himself. The wind became angrier and angrier and hurled itself across the countryside, whistling and howling as it tried to tear the coat from the man’s body. But the harder it blew, the tighter became the man’s grip on the coat. Eventually, utterly exhausted the wind blew itself out, and gave up. “watch this’ smiled the sun. It’s quite easy really. Turning towards the travelled, it released a few gentle rays, and then very gradually, turned up the heat. The traveller responded immediately. First, he loosened his coat and then, as he became hotter, took off the coat altogether.
The wind was aggressive in his approach, the sun was more tactful and used discretion. So, let us know when to be silent, when to speak, let us learn to be gentle with others at home or in this place of worship. Let us not be angry or egoistic or conceited or self-centred or self- absorbed or to be insensitive and selfish, let us laugh together and frown less.  Let us be sensitive to the needs of others and to offer encouragement and support, we have no idea what they are going through. Let us continue to be instruments of peace and sons and daughters of encouragement. The world is full of angry people and we should be the ones that bring a ray of sunshine to a cold and hostile world.
 
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