Our Words—A Weapon

 

By Maureen Miller

 

Late in the afternoon… So begins Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Confession: I’ve never read it. I share this, not because I’m ashamed but, rather, I’m surprised. After all, as the mother of a brown-skinned boy whom we homeschooled, with this classic on my shelf since receiving it from my mom in 2006, you’d think I’d have cracked its cover.

 

Recently, I did. Pulled that book out and dusted it off. My curiosity was piqued after reading a biography of its author. A small portion of Stowe’s story was tucked among the pages of my study Bible.

 

It was a Sunday morning. As I sat on our front porch, I randomly opened to Micah and read. Flipping a page, there was the bio, not far from these words—But as for me, I am filled with power—with the Spirit of the Lord. I am filled with justice and strength to boldly declare [a nation’s] sin and rebellion (3:8 NLT).

 

Did you know in 2018, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was named the second most influential story in the shaping of our world’s history?

 

Let that sink in. Not our nation—our world! But something else struck—Harriet believed the adage about the pen being mightier than the sword (Courage for Life Study Bible for Women, Tyndale House Publishers, 2023—p. 1155.)

 

That’s why I pulled Stowe’s book off the shelf and cracked its cover. If its author believed the written word to be a powerful weapon, if others deemed Uncle Tom’s Cabin influential enough to shape—yes, change—the world, then I’d do well to read it too.

 

As Christian writers, called to share God’s messages in troubling, dark times, we’re equipped with power—filled with God’s Spirit and, thus, armed not only with a Sword (Ephesians 6:17) but with the weapon of our words.

 

But what to write? When asked a similar question concerning Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Stowe gave God credit, stating the inspiration for her novel derived in part from what He’d allowed in her life.

 

Though not African, nor a slave, she suffered the loss of her eighteen-month-old son to cholera. This, as well as witnessing African mothers separated from children at slave markets, stirred empathy, causing her to press in to the heart of her Savior. To hear from Him. Be filled by Him. And then, to write for Him, even though her words stirred controversy.

 

So is true for us. Whether our words weave themselves into fiction or nonfiction— bound in books or other printed forms or scrolled through online—our personal experiences, guided by the gracious hand of our Father, are powerful weapons.

 

But the question remains: Are we courageous enough to write them? To face ridicule by those who disagree? To be disliked, rejected even, because our Spirit-inspired messages convict?

 

My mom wrote an inscription on the inside cover of Uncle Tom’s Cabin almost two decades ago. Under the title she penned,“… has become a story for your family too.”

 

And therein lies truth regarding the potential influence of words. Because personal story, framed first by the greatest Story ever written, is a weapon. With the Sword in one hand and a pen in the other, we can get started.

 

Yes, our words can change the world!

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Brett Jordan.

Maureen Miller—wife, mother of three, and Mosie to three—lives on Selah Farm, a hobby homestead nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina. With a passion for God’s Word, Maureen is an award-winning author and photographer, contributing as a guest blogger and to several online devotion sites, as well as to a variety of collaboratives. She prays to have eyes and ears open that she might experience God in the miracles of His created world and blogs weekly about what He has to say at www.penningpansies.com. Her debut novel is under contract with Redemption Press.