A Word Is Worth a 1000 Pictures

3 Ways Your Words Shape Your Life

We are currently in the holiest month of the Jewish year. The name of the month in Hebrew is Elul.

In Hebrew, the letters are an acronym for the biblical phrase, “Ani L’Dodi v'Dodi Li,” I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine.” (Song of Songs, 6:3)

This phrase from the Song of Songs refers to two lovers, but according to the Jewish sages, it also refers to God and humanity.

Love defines that relationship, and during this sacred month, we express our love for God through our deeds.

An Ancient Practice

One traditional practice is to be especially aware of our speech. We watch our words carefully and make sure they reflect our highest ideals.

We push ourselves to speak with honesty and kindness because our words matter to God.

Sometimes we forget this truth. “Sticks and stones may break my bones,” the old saying goes, “but words can never hurt me.”

Or we say "it's just words" to excuse something wrong me say. Or perhaps you have heard the cliche, "a picture is worth a thousand words."

Which is More Powerful?

The point, of course, is images convey great emotional power. But the statement is inaccurate because a word is also a picture! Every word—even a letter— paints a picture in our heads.

If you hear the words, "Oh beautiful for spacious skies," for example, what do you see? Perhaps a flag or a misty horizon.

In fact, words direct our attention in more subtle ways than images because they touch on multiple senses. We hear them, we feel them in our mouths, and if we are reading, we even see them.

That's one of the reasons prayer relies primarily on words. They are more versatile and nuanced than imagery. A few ways words work:

1. Words shape our attitude: Therapists often advise patients to redescribe reactions to emotion-laden events using positive language.

It lifts our spirits. Studies have shown this practice has long-lasting a beneficial impact.

The Bible also relies on words to direct the hearts of the Israelites.

The Book of Psalms, for example, is a source of hope and comfort. Its words lift help us cope and direct our hearts toward God.

2. Words connect us to God: In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites build the portable Tent of Meeting to carry through the wilderness. When they complete it, Moses blesses them.

A blessing is simply a formulation of words. When Moses blesses the Israelites, he lifts their gaze upward.

The blessing also creates a connection between that sacred moment and God's creation of the world.

Just as God built a home for humanity on earth, so the Israelites have built a home for God in the ark.

3. Words create relationships. We nurture relationships by exchanging words with one another. Special words also connote special relationships.

Think about affectionate terms spouses or friends have for one another. Their language not only creates but also sustains their bond.

In Judaism, words can legally create a relationship. For example, a mere relationship becomes a marriage when, before at least two witnesses, a groom says to the bride the words,

Harei at m’kudeshet li b'taba-at zo k'dat Mosheh v'Yisrael, "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring, according to the law of Moses and Israel."

I find that understanding the creative power of words can enrich our experience of prayer.

Prayer is the language of the heart. When we pray, we create, define, and repair our inner world. Prayer gives light to our inner being.

More broadly, we can understand the words we speak as a means of self-creation. The language we use—and this includes not just spoken and written words, but also sign language, facial expressions, body motions, pictures, and music—helps us understand ourselves and lets us create relationships with others.

Our words give us the power to describe our past, define the present, and dream of the future. As the Book of Proverbs puts it, "Life and death lie in the power of the tongue." (Proverbs 18:21).

May our words continue to ennoble our faith.