Words Matter

On Easter Sunday, I was shocked by the dangerous and inflammatory comments posted by our current president. As someone who loves literature, words, and religion, I am deeply disturbed because I know words matter. My life is words; my profession is words. Words rule my world.

Words matter. 

 As a Minister of Word and Sacrament, I must condemn these divisive, hateful words. Further, I must condemn the disrespectful use of the word Allah in his post as sacrilege.  

 We must not forget that Muslims are our Abrahamic siblings with whom we share prophets and biblical texts. At my Catholic university, we affectionately referred to Jews and Muslims as “brothers of the book”. We understood that we worship the same God but practice a different expression.   

 No disrespect of any faith, tradition, or practice is acceptable, especially as famine, war, and death wage in the background. 

 Words matter; people matter. Faith matters. God is not a punchline; Jesus is not an American mascot. 

 We must demand better words. We must use words more wisely, clearly, and responsibly. Words matter. 

 The Reverend Shannon M. Garrett-Doege

Senior Pastor, Smithfield UCC