James 3. “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life and set on fire by hell.” (3:5-6)

As I write this I am sitting in a hotel in Los Angeles, on the 17^th floor overlooking UCLA and parts of Santa Monica. Yesterday I was down at the beach and the Palisades Parkway is still closed from the wildfires that recently brought so much destruction to this area. Many people lost their homes to the fires, and entire neighborhoods were destroyed. The hills here are brown, and the canyons have steep walls with homes built into the hillside. I remember watching videos from the fire, where 70 mph winds blew sparks across neighborhoods and there was nothing the fire department could do to stop the fire from spreading. It was a version of hell for residents.

So, the image of our tongues as a fire spark that can ignite an entire forest fire is particularly poignant this morning. The things we say cannot be taken back, and they can start small smoldering fires, or large wildfires that ravage entire relationships and communities. We all stumble in many ways (3:2) and that is especially true with our words. Our passage today points out that the words that come out of our mouths have deeper origins, in the springs of our hearts (3:11). Jealousy and selfish ambition (3:16) are often at the root our heart conflicts, which then spill out into our relationships. In contrast, we are called to be peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (3:17). If our character is shaped in this way by The Holy Spirit, then the words that come out of our mouths will bring healing and joy to those who hear them.

In the words of Louie Giglio, “Maturing is realizing how many things do not require your comment.” It’s progress if we can learn to keep our thoughts to ourselves!

What stood out to you from James 3?