During this fourth week of Advent, we are focusing on John’s description of Jesus as “the Word became flesh.” You can find this passage in John’s gospel, chapter 1.

It sometimes happens that word meanings become trivialized. To trivialize something is to make it seem less important, less significant or less complex than it really is. Words have meanings, but when those meanings are weakened or lost, communication suffers.

The trivialization of words is a chronic problem in our noisy culture. Not only can we not agree on ideas, we can’t even agree on the meanings of the words we’re using to debate those ideas. Frustrated and divided are the people whose words no longer mean anything. Right now, that seems to describe our country. It is painful to watch the news or listen to politicians. We do not hear each other — and we’re not listening. There is too much talk — and the volume is so loud that our ears are filled with distortion.

C.S. Lewis recognized the importance of choosing words carefully. He once said, “Don’t use the word ‘infinitely’ when you mean ‘very.’ Otherwise, you will have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.” There seems to be very little effort given these days to finding the right words. Instead, we spew out far too many words or inject unnecessary drama to make a point. Talk, talk, talk — drama, drama, drama. Proverbs 10:19 reminds us that where words are many, sin is not far off.

This is not a new problem. Jesus was also born into a community where words had lost their meaning. Four hundred years of Divine silence had resulted in a religion deeply steeped in wordiness. Jesus confronted long prayers and endless lists of laws that resulted in love-less legalism and hypocrisy. To help them see just how far off the rails they had traveled, He summed up all of the teaching of the Laws and the Prophets into two brief statements containing just 34 words: “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your strength and with all of your mind — and love your neighbor as yourself.” He confronted their long vows and the dramatic ways they would swear oaths by telling them, “All you need to say is ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” When He taught the disciples how to pray, He warned them against praying like the pagans who babbled on and on. He then offered a model prayer that contained just 52 words. We call it The Lord’s Prayer. Martin Luther once said, “The fewer the words, the better the prayer.”

In fact, the gospels record about 2,000 words spoken by Jesus. That’s it. For comparison, this article contains 914 words. How did a man who said so little effect the world so greatly? The answer is given by John as he introduces Jesus in his gospel: the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us.

In the 1920s, an advertising agent named Fred R. Barnard popularized the phrase, a picture is worth a thousand words. The phrase was first attributed to Tess Flanders, a newspaper editor. Both utilized the concept to highlight the effectiveness of using illustrations in news reporting and advertising. For example, a picture of a burning house can tell a story without a single word being written.

While pictures are useful, word-become-flesh is far more effective. Jesus didn’t need to say a lot because everything He did spoke volumes. Thomas Jefferson once said, “It is in our lives, and not in our words, that our religion must be read.” What would happen if Christians talked less and loved more?

Here are some examples of words Jesus brought to life by becoming flesh:

Do you want to understand what the word grace means? Picture Jesus rescuing the woman caught in adultery from the posse that was ready to stone her to death. That’s grace.

Do you want to understand what the word agony means? Then kneel down next to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as He begins to bear the weight of the sins of the world. That’s agony.

Do you want to understand what the word passion means? If so, then walk along with Jesus as He carries His cross to Golgotha. That’s passion.

Do you want to understand what the word mercy means? Listen to Jesus as He forgives His executioners while dying on the cross they nailed Him to. That’s mercy.

Do you want to understand what the word love means? Then kneel down with the shepherds and gaze upon Almighty God lying in a manger of straw . . . in a stable . . . in Bethlehem. That’s love.

Jesus taught far more by what He did than by what He said. He did more than talk about truth; He embodied it. He brought it to life. Clearly, He is calling on us to do the same. God needs for us to be the word-become-flesh in a world filled with amped-up drama and meaningless word-noise. In the year 2020, let’s talk less and love more. May you and I be the word-become-flesh in a world starving for authentic Christianity.

As Saint Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” Amen and Merry Christmas.