So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction
of the Dragon's Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of
Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by
fire.(Nehemiah 2:13 NAU)
This gate was used to dispose of the garbage and waste of
day-to-day living. It was the passage by which the inhabitants of ancient
Jerusalem were able to rid themselves of those byproducts of the essentials of
life—those leftovers and remains of living. If they were to be negligent in
this essential task, the dangers to their health and safety would become
quickly evident.
So, out of this gate would go bones, left-over food, body-waste, dead animals—anything which might contaminate those who came in contact with it. Though it was a distasteful, unpleasant, even smelly job, it had to be done. Otherwise, the health of the city was threatened. No one likes to take out the trash. But it has to be done.
Thomas Traherne gives an important perspective on the value of our thought process "As nothing is more easy than to think, so nothing is more difficult than to think well." We must guard the words we speak to others. Should we fail to guard this gate, what comes out is anything but healthy or edifying.
Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered
with silver dross. (Proverb 26:23 KJV)
We love to repeat the old proverb (certainly not
Biblical), "Sticks and stones may break my bones; but words can never harm
me." We all know that statement is not true. Just reflect back on the last time someone said something unkind about you
or spread an untruth concerning you. So much for, "words can never harm
me."
And, as the Golden Rule reminds us, the feelings we have regarding the things we personally experience will likely very much resemble the feelings and responses of those we injure. If untruth bruises my spirit, it will hurt those I would slander just as much. If an unkind word toward me causes me to draw back from a friendship; my friends most likely feel the same about me when I choose unkind words.
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