The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Life!

July 3, 2009

We need to bless more and curse less

Inside Out

By Bev Davis

God bless America. We’ll hear that phrase a lot this weekend. When we do, many of us may miss its real significance.

Drawing from biblical history, blessing and cursing take on much different meanings from the way we use those words today.

Cursing, to us, for example, usually carries the idea of using profanity. Bless is a word we use without much thought for its meaning. An older lady I know frequently says, “Well, bless my soul.” Someone sneezes, and we say, “Bless you!” We say the “blessing” over a meal.

However, according to “Vines Complete Expository Dictionary,” the Hebrew words meaning “to bless,” are used often in pronouncements of good fortune, good health, happiness or greeting. Fathers pronounced specific blessings or endowments on their male heirs. To say someone was “blessed,” could mean they were thought to have great favor with God or the admiration of their peers.

Several Greek words are used for bless, and for the most part, they mean “to celebrate with praises.”

Cursing had more to do with the opposite. Different Hebrew and Greek carry the idea of different degrees of pronouncing some type of doom on someone or something. To “curse” a parent, for example, meant to belittle or make contemptible.” Cursing could also mean “to pray against.”

Often, we never stop to think we are blessing and cursing people all the time. We bless people with words of encouragement, hope, compassion and praise. We curse others by making fun of them, criticizing them, making racial or ethnic slurs or pronouncing judgment on them.

It saddens me that we as Americans can’t debate issues without attacking the people involved with those issues. It saddens me even more that so many people who consider themselves Christians know very little about the actual issues. They rely on brief news clips or their political party’s spin on the topic. Few watch any of the televised debates on the House and Senate floors. Many never follow even one proposal through to its conclusion.

Let’s face it, though. It’s more fun to curse than to bless. It makes us feel smart and superior to criticize and blame, especially when we don’t know what we’re talking about.

You know, folks, today is America’s birthday. Let’s celebrate all that’s good about our country and our leaders. Nobody’s perfect. There’s room for diversity of opinions and political perspectives. There’s so much more to bless than curse about.

As we take a moment today to ask God “to bless America,” let’s offer praise and thanksgiving for all the ways He’s already done so. Let’s top off our celebration by making a commitment to bless more and curse less — in all areas of our lives.

— E-mail: bdavis@register-herald.com

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