Two weeks ago, hip hop artist Chance the Rapper released an amazing music video “The Heart & The Tongue.” This song found Chance discussing the connection between his heart and what comes out his mouth, and I think that is a good subject with discussing.
Chance’s song helps solidify what many of us already know: what is on the inside will eventually come out. Our hearts are cups and what we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell makes its way into our cups. Most times, sooner rather than later, whatever is in that cup will spill out of our lips.
That’s why its hard to to believe someone when they say they didn’t mean what they said when they were angry. They meant what they said, I just don’t think they meant for those words to ever come out. Sometimes I say things I never thought I would say. When that happens I have to step back and ask myself what have I been taking in. I don’t really cuss but sometimes I find myself using words that I don’t normally use. There was a time where I found myself listening to a lot of music with profanity or movies with strong language; I thought I was relatively unaffected until I started using that same language.
To bring it closer to today, there are a lot of people who say racist and derogatory words but claim they aren’t racists. There are some of us who use words and phrases that are offensive to women but claim we love women. One of America’s biggest problems is that we have been fed falsehoods about the different groups inside the country for so long, we’ve accepted them as truth. There’s sure to be misunderstandings when history written with a clear bias is not only taught, but regurgitated for hundreds of years.
I have found that when I cut down my consumption of the news or social media, I felt better. When I take in a lot of that garbage, it inevitably comes out. Some of us think just because certain things haven’t come out yet, we are safe. Just know, whatever is on the inside has to come out; whether it’s days, month, or years later, it will come out.
Sometimes I start feeling junky on the inside and feel the need to clean my heart; I do that with my faith. I read my Bible and strive to fill my heart with those good words About life, love, justice, and serving. I don’t always listen or heed the Word but at least the Word is inside me. That way it can come out when I need it or when I least expect it.
As we go about our days and weeks, we should check in with ourselves and ask what we‘ve been feeling our hearts with. Every day we are adding to our cups, whether deliberately or subconsciously. What are we putting into our hearts? Take care, because it never stays there.
"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."-Matthew 12:3