The tongue is soft, one of the softest members of our bodies. It was created by God to be pliable and to bend so that we can speak. The bones are hard, the hardest part of our bodies. They do not bend, but they break. The Bible mentions that especially our foreheads are hard. In the book of Ezekiel we read that God would make Ezekiel's forehead an adamant harder than flint. Very often the reference in the Bible to a hard head or to a hard bone is a reference to the enraged temper, to the irritated and angry disposition of heart. Apparently, the Lord speaks to us then of a paradox. He says that the softest part of the body is able to break the hardest part. That is a very beautiful expression of the power of the words of a child of God when the child of God speaks in gentleness and patience, when the child of God speaks as in the presence of God. The power of those words to correct and to break the hardness and sinful anger which can so often overwhelm our hearts. Instead of our words adding to the flames, Christ says that a wise tongue, a tongue that comes from Him, is able to break the bones. The Lord is speaking to us then of those words which we speak when we stand under the light of the Cross, conscious of our salvation in Jesus Christ and of our calling to glorify Him in the words that we speak. He is speaking especially of the words that we speak in response when we are in moments of great irritation and argument, and hard attitudes are being formed around us. Words which are not sharp or upbraiding. Certainly the Lord is not referring to a "smooth" tongue. He is not referring to the earthly, carnal way of persuasion or manipulation. He is speaking of the words which we speak from the heart of gentleness, words which we speak as in the presence of God, words which are spoken in love for God and love for our neighbor, words which are spoken in His presence - these, says the Lord, are able to convict an embittered heart. Christ says that a wise tongue,