The power of words

There is power in the written word. I know this is not some grandiose revelation on par with global warming or Justin Beiber’s twitter musings, but nevertheless, texts can transform individuals and society. A well crafted paragraph can make the most mundane appear clad in rapturous glory. I just finished a marvelous book on punctuation. Yes, I said punctuation. If you would have said that a book on commas and apostrophes could tickle my gizzard like a prat fall by Jim Carrey, I would have snickered in your face. Now it is hardly fair to compare a quotation mark to Jim Carrey, although both can be very annoying and you often don’t know what to do with either, this tome certainly supports my premise that almost any subject - well structured and woven into written language - can be rendered fascinating. The genius of many science writers, for example, is not their mastery of equations and incomprehensible synaptic connections, is in their ability to make physics interesting and understandable. I consider it genius to be able to transform quantum mechanics and biochemical genomics into readable, even exciting prose. It is much more common and pedestrian of these braniacs to frightfully pierce those of us with lessor intellects with their barbed jargon and make us feel like a blond super-model at a Mensa convention. The real superstars of the scientific realm are those visionaries like Richard Feynman and Michio Kaku who can take black holes and space-time continuums and make them as understandable as compounded interest. They have a gift for making the complex simple without diluting the wonder, and this requires not only a massive understanding of the topic but a mastery of language. Granted, some of this transformation may be accomplished by a wordsmith editor who transforms a unreadable rough draft into a shiny pearl, but I suspect that these titans of the intellect submit drafts that are polished, punctuated and polemically correct. At least I want to believe that. This genius is not limited to science writing, as it can be applied to any challenging study. I am particularly flabbergasted by those who elect Christian apologetics as their chosen form of diatribe. Now there is a topic as potentially complex, confusing and uncomfortable as a preacher at a LGBT convention. As you know, apologetics is a logical defense of the Gospel which, for many secularists, is a contradiction in terms. The genius of G.K. Chesterton or C.S.Lewis is in their ability to take highly complex theological concepts and make them understandable to the masses. What I find truly fascinating is that they accomplish this without compromising the integrity of the Scripture or the sanctity of the topic. I suspect the real reason for their success lies in using their first two initials in all their writings, which puts J.R.R. Tolkien in a class all by himself. For evermore I will be known as J.R. Eaker, as if this will transport me into literary hyperspace. Realistically I suspect Lewis, in particular, is the best thing to happen to apologetics in the twentieth century as his books on pain, evil, and foundational Christian beliefs prove my premise that words are transformative. And it is not just the words, but how they weave them together in a majestic, multicolored tapestry that resonates with so many. Both Lewis and Chesterton can write in such a way as to explain the complicated to believers and non believers alike thus reinforcing their almost universal utility in evangelism. They educate those who are followers of Jesus, and convince those who are not, and this is not an easy bridge to cross. They do it with words and word pictures that are painted with a pallet of logic and truth thus providing a masterpiece that can be appreciated by those well versed in art appreciation as well as those who think stick figures are neat. A third area that illustrates my belief in the power of words is in storytelling. Everything we do, experience, even think, is in some way a story. We crave stories as the sustenance that feeds our passions. We love the stories of others almost as much as we love our own story, even if we don’t realize we are in one. A powerful story teller can enrapture an audience and transform thought, but in verbal form this medium is limited. This is changing as YouTube and various other visual and auditory storytelling venues are universally assessable, however the written word still can take you to places that other media can’t. I believe this is due to the individualized, intrinsic filter that all words pass, the human brain. Lacking the immediate stimulation of the visual queues as a video possesses, the written word creates brain images unique to that individual. If two people watch a Beyonce music video, they both see much the same thing (although your reaction may vary depending on your age, marital status, and understanding of the term “bootylicious”); however, if two people read an essay on the rise and fall of the “bootylicious” genre( I just wanted to use that term again) you will find two different experiences because the brain fills in the sensory gaps. This doesn’t mean that any medium is superior, as I have as much respect for a Spielberg as I do for a Longfellow, they are just different in their impact on the individual.