Chaplain's Corner

Cultivate right speech

In Chapel this week we looked at the third letter of the acronym R.E.S.P.E.C.T -  S for “Speech”. As a school we believe that the way we speak to others and what we say about them in their absence shows the level of our respect for others. The Bible encourages us to cultivate right speech. Ephesians 4:29-32 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up others according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians includes ‘unwholesome speech’ among things such as bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander, the malice which grieve the Holy Spirit with whom as God’s people we are sealed for the day of our redemption. Not only does unwholesome speech destroy our relationships with others, but also with God. In Chapel we used James 3:1-12, which talks at length about taming the tongue. James urges us to tame our tongues and be careful with our words as they have the capacity to destroy other people’s reputation and image. James compared  the tongue, which is a very small member of the human body but has capacity to cause huge destruction, with a small fire that can destroy a huge bush. To help students to cultivate right speech, I spoke to them about Socrates’ Triple Filter Test. Socrates said before saying anything, put it through the Triple Filter Test. 

Ask these three questions: first, are you sure that what you are about to say is true? Second, is what you are about to say good? Finally, is what you are about to say, useful? Socrates said, if what you want to say is not true, not good, nor useful, then why say it at all? Cultivate right speech.

Fr Gift Makwasha 

School Chaplain