Words with Restraint

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. – Proverbs 17:27-28 (NIV) 

Last month, I took my daughter to the American Writers Museum.  

In typical fashion, she beelined past all the panels she’d have to read and straight to the first thing she could touch: a bank of six typewriters the museum keeps in good working order and supplied with plenty of stationery.  

She grabbed an empty chair and set to creating her masterpiece. 

o-n-c-e 

“Daddy, it’s not working.” I looked and saw a few faint letters inked on the page. 

“You have to press harder.” I showed her, and she started again, lifting her elbows and pushing until her fingertips went white against the keys. 

o-n-c-a 

“Daddy, I made a mistake.” I demonstrated how to back up, x it out, begin again. 

o-n-c-e 

And so it continued. Through jammed keys, twisted ribbons, and the near Herculean effort it took her to swing the carriage back in place for each new line.  

When it was time to go, I turned the knob and took her page off the roller. She stared down at 2 sentences, barely visible, filled with x’s, and occasionally dropping down a line or two midpage.  

“This is hard.” 

Which caused me to reflect: What would I write if it took this much effort? What would still feel pressing if I had to press so hard my wrists shook with every stroke? Which of my texts, emails, posts would survive an hour’s slow consideration? How many words would my sermons be?  

And what might I learn in all that silence? 

Prayer
Jesus, be a typewriter.

About the Author
Vince Amlin is co-pastor of Bethany UCC, Chicago, and co-planter of Gilead Church Chicago, forming now.