麻豆约拍

Good morning. I imagine that many people would not remember the name of William Strunk who was born in Cincinatti, Ohio 150 years ago today.聽 聽An American Professor at Cornell University, Strunk published a book in 1918 called The Elements of Style. This was not, as the title seems to suggest, a book about fashion, but a manual on American English grammar. It was later revised and enlarged by Strunk鈥檚 student E. B. White, (who went on to write the popular children鈥檚 book, Charlotte鈥檚 Web). The 鈥楽trunk and White鈥� style guide sold millions of copies in the twentieth century and became the 鈥榯urn-to鈥� book for many students and aspiring writers.聽
A colleague told me that he read it every year. I may begin to do the same because it strikes me that some of Strunk鈥檚 principles might be applied to life more widely. For instance, one chapter is entitled simply:聽 鈥極mit needless words鈥�. How many times have I wished that I had heeded that advice when speaking to others?聽 It is so easy to make an off-hand comment or critical observation which, perhaps unthinkingly, causes hurt or damages a relationship.
One Proverb in the Bible claims: 鈥淭houghtless speech is like the stabs of a sword, but the tongue of the wise is healing.鈥� And in the Epistle of James there is this advice: 鈥榖e quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry鈥�.聽 It is a firm reminder of the need to watch what we say and how we say it 鈥� and it seems to me, that applies to the spoken or written word.聽
Forgive us Lord for the times we have spoken when we should have remained silent. Grant healing to those who have been wounded by the words of others and guide us today in all we say and do. Amen.