Many a slip twixt word and action

Since being involved in coordinating Hope for Belper, I have been much exercised by the more often than not polarising discussion between those who feel the need to emphasise the preaching of the gospel and those who think the emphasis lies more with living the gospel. Exercised, because I believe it is a comforting and almost ritual spat of little or no consequence, between parties in agreement who simply want to let the other know they are orthodox in their faith.

A long time ago I would have been found batting defensively for the word and then not so long ago I would have believed myself to have stood firmly in the activist’s camp, quoting St Francis of Assisi, ‘Preach the Gospel, using words if you have to!’ or saying ‘action speaks louder than words’.

It doesn’t really make things more clear if you go looking to see what the Bible has to say about the interaction between word and action. For example Genesis is full of ‘God said…and it was’ and then fast forward to the Gospels and we see the word become flesh (and why else but for some 'in the raw' action, up close and personal). Then, not much further along, we see word play and action intertwined with the healing of the man in Matthew 9; ‘Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?’

For those of you still locked in this discussion (and I say discussion advisedly, rather than dialogue), I offer you my latest quote on this subject – Actions don’t speak louder than words, but they sure do amplify them!