Letter to the Congregations: 17th May 2025

Our Dear Brethren,

“Do not curse the king, even in your thought; do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; for a bird of the air may carry your voice, and a bird in flight may tell the matter” (Ecclesiastes 10:20).

Behind this verse seems to be the desire to talk bad about those who are more successful than us or have more power than we do. Jealousy can cause us to say things and do things we might regret. Jealousy can cause us to feel towards someone the way we shouldn’t feel towards other people.

In the scenario in Ecclesiastes we read about a theoretical bird that has the ability to carry our secret words or even our personal thoughts to the ears of those we might have ill feelings about. The reality of the situation is that the truth eventually comes out. The things that we say in secret, or even think in our minds, will be made known. The people we might be jealous of might not actually hear our words or be able to see our thoughts, but our God does. We can never deceive Him.

Of course our words said in secret, or in the quiet of a room with only a few ears listening, or online or through texts or any modern way of communicating often have a way of making their way to those whose ears we didn’t want to hear. And this isn’t always because of jealousy. Sometimes we share someone else’s happy news out of turn, or pass on someone else’s misrepresentation of a friend or brother. Lies, gossip, and false assumptions can be passed around this way. And worst of all, even if we didn’t intend any harm, people are hurt, their feelings damaged, their trust in us is tarnished, and relationships are broken.

I don’t bring this up to call anyone else out, but to remind myself, and all of you my brethren, that our words mean something. Are we careful with what we say, especially what we say about other people? And do our words about someone change depending on if we are talking face-to-face, or if we are hiding behind a keyboard or a screen? Do we say nice things and then turn around and, as we walk away under our breath, whisper curses rather than blessings?

Even deeper than that, and where all this begins, is in our heart and mind. We are called upon to change the way we think. Changing our thoughts about someone can help us change how we speak about them and how we treat them, and even the hope for good things we have for them.

Our God does hear our secret words and knows our secret thoughts. This is to our advantage because He knows our intentions and is patient with us when we make mistakes. He is also patient with us in letting us know when we are wrong, and rather than just letting us know He also helps us to change for the better. Are we ready to make that positive change within ourselves, so the next time we begin to think of someone or speak their name, we are thinking thoughts of peace towards them like our God thinks towards us?

Our love is with you,

Lewis VanAusdle

Pastor, United Church of God

NYC, NJ, CT, Malawi, Zimbabwe