Eating Our Words – How Will Yours Taste?

If you had to eat your words, how would they taste? Would they be as sweet as raisins? Or would they taste hard and bitter like dry beans? This fast seeks to transform faults of the tongue into fruitful words that will encourage and nourish those around us.

A Different Kind of Recipe

Have you ever had to “eat your words”?

That little cliché has seldom given me much pause for thought. Maybe it should. It is, after all, about eating and about words. What could speak more plainly to a food blogger?

What if I did have to eat my words? How would they taste? Would my words be sweet and nourishing like bits of dried fruit? Or would they be hard and bitter like dried beans?

I first considered these questions when I picked up a worksheet from the narthex at church. It features what appears to be a simple recipe for the season of Lent. It includes a short list of basic ingredients, which are likely accessible to us all, and a few instructions. The recipe begins like this…

Fasting From Faults of the Tongue

You’ll need:

• 1 lb. dried beans
• 1 lb. raisins (or other dried fruit)
• 2 medium size bowls
• a large measure of Honesty

The dried beans are there to represent our indiscretions. These are the faults that slip past our tongue on a daily basis.

The raisins represent the fruits of the Spirit, the kindness and encouragement we offer and share. 

The instructions that follow are simple. Each time you speak, think about the words you say.

Consider Your Words

While the instructions are simple, the execution can be difficult. This recipe asks us to commit to being mindful of every word we speak for a season. That season might be Lent, another season of the year, or even a single month. Over the course of that time, we are asked to consider every word that passes our lips. Are our words sweet and nourishing? Or are they hard and hurtful?

Are your words spoken in anger? Do they refer to someone in negative terms? Take note. Whenever a lie passes your lips, or an unkind word, be conscious of your choice. If you share a little gossip, criticize or complain, mark your words. Then drop a dry bean into one of the bowls to represent each transgression.

On the other hand, whenever you speak in gentleness or offer words of kindness, remember. When your words offer support, whenever you express love, joy, patience, peace or find yourself practicing self-control, be mindful. Then, put a raisin in the second bowl, one for each of those sweet occasions. 

As you may have already realized, this recipe requires a lot of personal awareness and a very large measure of that final ingredient: honesty. Self evaluation can be a tricky business. But then, if we aren’t honest, who are we fooling? Only ourselves.

Dried Beans and Raisins

Why are our faults like dried beans? They need some attention and application of process before they can edify us and add nourishment to our diet. As they are, dry and hard, they have little value. Like small stones they are more likely to callous and irritate, wounding us without adding nutrition. They are incapable of providing complete protein and, if consumed, largely pass through our system without benefit. 

Yet our words do have potential. If we attend to them, once soaked, softened, seasoned and combined with other nutrients, these hard nuggets can become both nutritious and palatable.

Raisins, on the other hand, are nuggets of fruit. Plump and sweet, raisins are produce of the vine. Preserved and tucked away, they sustain us in seasons of darkness or drought. They sweeten the staff of life and make the ordinary special. Raisins have long been treasured as a treat added to holiday sweets. Their value is in their bright flavor, in the light and warmth of their unexpected inclusion.

Eating Our Words

When our fast is done, it is time to eat the bowl of beans we have collected. Soaking them in water the beans soften as the hard outer husk cracks and often pulls away. Apply heat and the beans become even softer until they are actually palatable and can provide nourishment. Then the softened beans are able to absorb a little salt and other seasoning making them into a tasty meal.

With our beans cooked, it is time to turn our attention to the bowl of fruit. Using the raisins we have collected we can bake a delicious loaf of sweet bread, a cake or some other sweet treat. This is a great treat to share with family or friends in celebration of the good gift of words and the power they have to build, encourage and transform.

The idea of fasting from faults of the tongue was introduced at our church as a practice for Lent. Whether or not you are drawn to observe Lent this is a practice you might want to consider during any season. It is believed that habit formation can be accomplished with regular practice in about two months. Why not reflect on this practice over the course of any season to see if you can transform your faults of the tongue into fruitful words that will encourage and nourish those around you.