What Is The Word?

While I can utilize this keyboard as my voice, Terri Schiavo lies silent in her hopital bed. Terri, the woman, has been replaced by Terri, the prisoner. She has been imprisioned first by her own body, then by her doctors, her husband, her parents, judges, govenors and congressmen all determined to voice their vision for her destiny. Her silence is her jailer, and without words Terri is unable to exert her will. Without words, she cannot order a drink of water or a morsel of food. Without words, she cannot choose life or her willingness to succumb to death.

John 1:1 states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." RSV But, what is the Word? The dictionary defines "word" as a sound or utterance or groupings of sound and utterances to communicate. John goes on to say in Verse 14 of Chapter 1 that "The Word was made flesh.", therefore, Jesus is The Word, and as our words are bridges between ourselves and others, Jesus is the bridge between ourselves and God.

Our tongue is our sword and the strength behind that sword is our will. With this sword we can create, destroy, forgive, love, exhort, criticize, hate and believe. This is why Paul wrote in Romans 10:9, "...if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised you from the dead, you will be saved." RSV Words have power in direct proportion to the strength of conviction behind the words.

As Christians, we are told to pray in Jesus' name. By praying in his name, we are, by choice, aligning our will with his conviction - his power. His strength becomes our strength, his power our power, and we share in His intimacy with The Father. By praying in Jesus' name, we give affirmation that our will is submitted to his.