The Ministry of Holding One's Tongue

Brother Bonhoeffer taught the importance of speaking fewer words, especially when the more words spoken would tend to tear down others rather than build them up. In his chapter from Life Together devoted to the "ministry" we owe one another in community, he places the "ministry of holding one's tongue" as the first.

Bonhoeffer counsels us to practice these ministries in order to guard against the natural tendency toward ascendancy and control that arises in every human community. This grasping for power is frequently accompanied by condemning and judging others in the struggle of the natural man for self-justification.

In response, Bonhoeffer writes: "Often we combat our evil thoughts most effectively if we absolutely refuse to allow them to be expressed in words. It is certain that the spirit of self-justification can be overcome only by the Spirit of grace; nevertheless, isolated thoughts of judgment can be curbed and smothered by never allowing them the right to be uttered, except as a confession of sin . . . . "He who holds his tongue in check controls both mind and body" (James 3:2ff). Thus, it must be a decisive rule of every Christian fellowship that each individual is prohibited from saying much that occurs to him."
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"Where this discipline of the tongue is practiced right from the beginning, each individual will make a matchless discovery. He will be able to cease from constantly scrutinizing the other person, judging him, condemning him, putting him in his particular place where he can gain ascendancy over him and thus doing violence to him as a person. Now he can allow the brother to exist as a completely free person, as God made him to be. His view expands and, to his amazement, for the first time he sees, shining above his brethren, the richness of God's creative glory."

Through my on-going experiences with students, colleagues and administrators up to this very day, I continue to learn the wisdom of Brother Bonhoeffer's words that affirm, in nearly every context and circumstance, the adage: Fewer words are best.

A Teacher's Dilemma

One of my students recently posed a question that prompted me to pause and think.  The student attends my Tuesday and Friday morning class on Legal Argumentation.  The purpose of this course is to sharpen both the students' analytical thinking and their legal writing and speaking skills. I had given the class their first writing assignment -- a research memorandum.  I emphasized the importance of their writing in a clear, concise and convincing manner. 

I also stressed to the class the importance of choosing the right words in arguing the position they had determined was correct. Finally, I charged them to observe the wisdom of the Chinese proverb that you see written at right. It reads: "Fewer words are best." I'd been told that it may also be translated: "Fewer words are beautiful." It was this last bit of writing advice that confused my student and gave rise to her question.  

"I thought you were supposed to be teaching us to write like lawyers. Why do you say that we should use fewer words? I thought lawyers always used a lot of words." 

I had to admit that her understanding of lawyers -- and American lawyers, in particular -- was indeed correct. Lawyers are professionals who use words -- lots of words -- to make their point and advance their clients' interests. In fact, I have often admitted to my students that as a recovering lawyer, I suffer from a professional disability -- I talk too much. In a meager attempt at self-justification, I offer the weak excuse that after ten years of a law practice where I essentially got paid by the word, I developed the nasty habit. 

But, my student's question presented me with a dilemma. To teach effective writing and speaking skills, I have to use words. But the more words I use, I am actually doing the very thing I'm trying to teach my students to avoid. If I use fewer words, I fear my teaching will be ineffective; if I use more words, though, I won't be able to demonstrate the principal lesson of the course. What's a teacher to do? 

Is it possible to teach, write and speak effectively with fewer words? The wisdom of that Chinese proverb is consistent with the teaching of Scripture.  James admonishes us to be "quick to hear, slow to speak." (James 1:19) Solomon, too, teaches us:  "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words." (Ecclesiastes 5:2-3).  And finally, Jesus himself warns us that "on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak." (Matthew 12:36)

If I am to follow these instructions, I will need to slow down and choose my words with care.  Yes, it is possible to be an effective communicator with fewer words, but it takes time.  In fact, it takes more time to compose an argument in a clear, concise and convincing manner than it does to come up with one twice as long.  Thus, I must be slow, not hasty, to speak a few careful, not careless, words.

I don't know if my student realized how telling her question was.  It prompted me to remember to practice first before I seek to teach.