“Free Speech - Let God Control Your Tongue”

Proverbs 15:1, 18:21, 21:23, James 3:5-12

There has been a significant amount of news regarding freedom of speech over the last few weeks.

Last Wednesday, a Senate panel examined government pressure on social media platforms to censor speech in light of the First Amendment. The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing centered on what’s known as “jawboning” comes as the protection of free speech has been in the spotlight following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the criticism of the Trump administration of late-night talk show hosts Steven Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel was suspended for his comments regarding Mr. Kirk’s assassination, and Colbert has been given notice that his show will come to an end in June of 2026.

“The First Amendment is the bedrock of this country, and we have an obligation to defend it,” Republican Sen.  Ted Cruz said as he began the hearing, chairing the committee. “It is dangerous for the government to abuse its authority and act as the speech police. No free society, built on an informed citizenry and public discourse, can thrive when government censors lawful speech and sets itself up as the arbiter of truth,” he added later. I admit I was pleasantly surprised by Senator Cruz’s stance on this issue.

Another story regarding the 1^st Amendment and the right of free speech is headed to the Supreme Court. They are looking into whether conversion therapy — a practice that major medical organizations have denounced — actually causes harm to minors, or is a violation of one counselor's right of free speech. No major medical organizations support conversion therapy.  The American Medical Association opposes the use of conversion therapy, arguing that exposure to it can lead to depression, anxiety, and can potentially “increase suicidal behaviors in a population where suicide is prevalent.” 

The justices are considering whether Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy on LGBTQ minors, which it defines as any practice that “attempts or purports to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity,” violates a mental health counselor’s First Amendment rights of free speech.

With all of the news regarding the freedom of speech and trying to protect the First Amendment, I thought about freedom of speech for people of Judeo/Christian faith. Does the First Amendment apply to us, or are there certain limitations on what a person of faith is supposed to say? Are people of faith entitled to free speech? Wellllll…We Christians have free will, but having Christ along for the ride is supposed to make a difference in our behavior- how we act, and more importantly, how we speak.

I personally believe our speech causes most of the problems in the world. And one issue with speech - it has expanded in so many ways! Texting, short videos on X, voicemail, even fake speech with deepfake AI videos - all out there at once. Our world is in the midst of a tongue fire conflagration! If I were to rewrite Proverbs 21:23 for modern ears, perhaps it might read more like “Those who keep their mouths shut, and their tongues, and who control their fingers when they text, post on Facebook, Snapchat, X, or email…keep themselves out of trouble.” Keeping one’s tongue- is that even possible?

When our daughter, Abby, was still with us and attending Ashland High School, we both started watching the show The Good Place. The premise of the show was centered on an afterlife in which humans were sent to "the Good Place" or "the Bad Place" after death. All deceased were assigned a numerical score based on the morality of their conduct in life, and only those with the very highest scores were sent to the Good Place, where they enjoy eternal happiness with their every wish granted. All others experience an eternity of torture in the Bad Place.

Early in the show, we meet Buddhist monk Jianyu, who has made it into the Good Place, along with other winners you’d expect to have made it into eternal paradise: a philanthropist, an ethicist, an angel … good people. Jianyu, who has taken a vow of silence even in eternity, exists within each scene as one who is wise, peaceful, all-knowing, all without saying a word. He truly keeps his tongue. It isn’t until the vow breaks and the tongue is unbridled that we realize we have another person altogether in the plot, who is a bit of a street punk wise guy whose primary purpose in life is to follow the Jacksonville Jaguars football team and idolize former quarterback Blake Bortles. Eventually, he gets sent back to earth as his ruse is discovered. But up until that time, he had a completely bridled tongue.

Theologian Casey Thornburgh Sigmon writes, “ How much harm is done by quick, inattentive, careless speech? Bridling the tongue is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage and a strong heart to listen to hear another, to tune into the Spirit’s whispers through them and in the space between people, rather than to listen only for a gap to insert yourself in an unbridled fashion.”

Our American society doesn’t have the faintest idea how to listen. So much of American politics, neighborly debate, and even differences within Christianity is a shouting match. Foolishness abides. Fires are set, and what is the cost? How much wiser and more Christlike might we all be if we were to, as Aaron Burr from Hamilton sings, “Talk less and smile more”?

That brings us to our passage from the book of James.

Early on in James, he has concerns about Christians and how we are to speak. In chapter one, verse 19 of his letter, he calls followers of Jesus to “…be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” Then just a few verses later, he writes, (1:26), “If anyone thinks they are religious and does not bridle their tongue but deceives their heart, their religion is in vain”.

The main idea in chapter 3:1-12 centers around self-control. The suggestion is that it all begins with the tongue. Control that, and we can control other aspects of our lives.

James begins with a focus on teachers, which I interpret as pastors, Bible study leaders, or Sunday School teachers. There should not be a lot of us, as our tongues may get us into trouble and lead others astray. According to Jesus in Matthew, teachers will receive greater judgment (Matt 12:36-37). “ You will have to give an account of every careless word you utter; for by your words will you be justified and condemned”. I recall examining that passage early on when I began seminary, and I often wonder how long that list of careless words will be when my earthly life is over.

Then comes a verse FULL of grace, V2. “All of us make mistakes”. Then James suggests that if you can bridle the tongue, you can attain perfection. There is a certain logic that follows. A person who can control their speech can control the rest of their life.

Then, James provides two helpful metaphors that suggest taming the tongue is possible:

1. Taming the tongue is like taming a wild horse; a small bit can make a horse go where the rider wants it to go.
2. Taming the tongue is like steering a sailing ship in a strong wind and storm- the rudder allows the captain to control where the ship goes, even in stormy conditions.

Thanks, James. We’ll all get to work on bridling our tongues, now that we know it is totally possible….

3. Then comes the illustration about the tongue. It is full of boasting, which leads to a small fire. And, a small fire can destroy a great forest. When the Almeda fire began on September 8, 2020, it did not start as a large fire. A small fire turned into a vast, destructive force.
4. Then in verse 6, James gives the tongue a bad rap, calling it an unrighteous world, which stains our bodies with sin, sets the natural world around us on fire, and is itself lit on fire by Evil.

OK, then, James. What hope do we have if our tongues are as you describe them? The situation seems totally hopel…

5. Then James says that all of nature is suggested as being tameable, for every beast known by humankind has been tamed.

Whew, great. So it is possible then to tame the…

However, James goes on to say that no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil that both blesses and curses, possessing contradictory behaviors. He suggests that these contradictory behaviors, of blessing God and yet cursing humans, made in God’s image, should not occur, because that contradiction is inconsistent with someone who has let Christ in. He then gives us two examples from nature. Does a spring pour forth both fresh and brackish water? NO. Does a fig tree yield olives? No. Does a grapevine grow figs? No. Nor does saltwater yield fresh water. (Unless you live on board a Navy ship, that is, which I learned about when Paula and I went through the USS Midway in San Diego😉)

What then can we glean from this passage in James? The tongue of the person of faith is meant to bless, not curse others, but it is a struggle. We can be led by the Spirit of Christ in us, yet also be led by our shadow side, which brings about “doubletonguedness.”  That “doubletonguedness” is sin. It starts small, but it can grow and cause so much damage. It is brackish water. Evil on earth is enacted when humans are led by loud, evil, unbridled tongues with platforms that reach millions and set the world on fire with hate.

People of faith are called to express ourselves carefully, for we are made in the image of God. Sixteenth-century theologian and French bishop St. Francis de Sales wrote, “Our words are a faithful index of the state of our souls.” I thought of that quote not long after getting in my car and heading home, as I pointed out people’s poor driving skills or got angry when someone didn’t stop at the four-way stop between Tollman Creek and Siskiyou. My soul’s state needs some prayer.

In closing, I leave you with the words of 17th-century mathematician, scientist, and person of faith, Blaise Pascal, who wrote, “Cold words freeze people, and hot words scorch them, and bitter words make them bitter, and wrathful words make them wrathful. Kind words also produce their image on human souls, and a beautiful image it is. They are smooth, quiet, and comfort the hearer.” May God be with us as we try through Christ’s presence in us to control our free speech, tame our tongues, and aim to produce kind words to others. Alleluia! Amen.