Midweek Musing- Words That Tear Down and Build Up 8/20/25

Jeremiah 1:4-10 emphasis on verses 9-10

4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;

I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am

only a boy."

7 But the Lord said to me,

"Do not say, 'I am only a boy,'

for you shall go to all to whom I send you,

and you shall speak whatever I command you.

8 Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you to deliver you,

            says the Lord."

9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to

me,

"Now I have put my words in your mouth.

10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,

to pluck up and to pull down,

to destroy and to overthrow,

to build and to plant."

Anytime I read Jeremiah, I think of two lessons my Presbyterian College

professors emphasized.

Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. He lamented over Israel and its

lack of faithfulness. Historically considered one of the major prophets of

the Old Testament, he is remembered in both the Jewish and Christian

communities as both bold messenger of God's truth and also as a deeply

compassionate, sorrowful human being. Living in tumultuous times and his

words show he personally carried the heavy burden of the message God had

sent to him. It is clear he grieved deeply for his people.

Second, like all the prophets Jeremiah's calling story begins with

hesitation. In Jeremiah's case, he tells God he's too young, too

inexperienced, and thus could not be a prophet. But God doesn't take no for

an answer.

And to display that Jeremiah is not exempt because of his age, well God does

something beautiful. The Lord reaches out, touches Jeremiah's mouth, and

says, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you... to

pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to

plant."

Notice the rhythm here: some words tear down, others build up. The prophet's

job is both demolition and construction. Lies, deceit, injustice, and

corruption must be named, condemned, and dismantled, so that truth,

compassion, mercy, grace, and community can grow where evil once took root.

My professors, all of whom were ordained ministers, reminded us even as

college students that same call to Jeremiah reached us in Clinton, South

Carolina and it also reaches out to each of us today.

Now, we may not be prophets in the same way as Jeremiah was but that does

not make us exempt. Indeed, the Spirit still places words on our lips and

God does this in every generation.

This should remind us that every conversation we have, every word of hope

and encouragement we offer, and every time we speak out against what is

wrong, all these are sacred opportunities. With our words we can either

pluck up or put down, destroy, or overthrow, build or plant be it to a

person, a community or nation.

The question is: how will we use our words?

Maybe it begins at home - choosing words that build our children and

grandchildren up instead of tearing them down. Maybe it shows up when we

gather in group spaces as we refuse to join in gossip and instead plant

words of kindness and encouragement. Maybe it's in our wider community -

having the courage to speak against prejudice while planting seeds of

reconciliation. Wherever we are, our words carry the power to pluck up and

to plant. The question remains: how will we use them?

Howard Thurman once said, "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes

you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have

come alive."

And while speaking truth is sometimes hard in doing so, we come alive,

because we refuse to be silent in the face of what is unjust, unloving, or

unkind.

But we must always remember that speaking truth is not a license to harm.

The Reverend William Sloane Coffin who was a Presbyterian minister who

served as chaplain at Yale University and later as the senior minister at

the influential Riverside Church in New York City put it well: "The world is

too dangerous for anything but truth, and too small for anything but love."

indeed, we are called to speak truth to power, but never with hate, never

with violence, never with prejudice. Truth separated from love becomes a

weapon; truth joined with love becomes a seed. One tears down for

destruction; the other clears ground for something new to grow. It's the

same Biblical poetry that we hear in the ideas that swords will be broken

down into plowshares.

Friends, the same God who touched Jeremiah's lips touches ours. With our

words and our lives, may we pluck up the weeds of hatred and pull down the

walls of division. May we destroy the lies that bind people in fear and

overthrow the powers that thrive on cruelty. And just as surely, may we

build communities of mercy and plant seeds of hope, compassion, and abundant

life - until God's kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven.