I heard someone once say, “life and death are often only a word apart.” Scripture does not treat our speech as neutral. The Bible presents the tongue as a small instrument with enormous influence and capable of healing hearts or wounding souls, of proclaiming truth or spreading destruction. In a world full of words, God calls His people to speak with reverence, restraint, wisdom, and love.

“Uh-oh.”These words were spoken by Kim Beede, a board member of Oakley Union Elementary School District in Oakley, Calif., after learning during an online board meeting that the meeting was being publicly live-streamed. Thinking they were speaking in private, four board members had spent several minutes criticizing and joking about parents in their district. “They want to pick on us because they want their babysitters back,” one board member quipped. The entire board resigned Friday, February 19th, amid a public outcry two days later.