Thinking About Fred...

By now you've heard that the notorious Fred Phelps, deposed leader of Westboro Baptist Church, has died.  No death is good news, and I'm grateful that (for the most part) people are being kind and hopeful.  It is comforting to me that his vitriol seems to have died--or at least died down--with him.

But has it really?

Now that the source of so much venom has passed on, many have reflected that his words have died with him.  But I'm not so sure.  Do words ever really die?  And isn't saying that Fred Phelps' words have died with him simply a denial of the power in our own words?  After all, we all know the truth: words have power, and words can kill.  Our words can kill.

You see, God only knows who pulled the trigger or tied the noose or took the pills because they saw a sign, and that sign said to them "God hates me."  God only knows...

Let the lesson, then, never die.  And let us all be careful what we say...

"Set a watch before my mouth..."