Taming the Tongue

News out of the Netherlands is that the Dutch National Police force has begun training eagles to intercept small drones during an emergency, when another capture device might put people below at risk. Working with a raptor-training company called Guard from Above, they are teaching eagles to recognize small drones and swoop in and grab them with their powerful talons. The belief is that eagles might be used when rouge drones or those being intentionally used for nefarious purposes are presenting a security risk. (See video) .

This brings to mind a statement from James 3:7-8:

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

The Dutch are testing the use of something as old as the Bible to deal with the potential dangers of a modern technology, but that Bible warns us that though man can train and tame many things, the tongue is in a unique category.

Words matter. They can encourage and they can build up, but they can also be toxic. They can guide others toward forgiveness and reconciliation, but they can also become like a fire that wreaks havoc in a church, a family, a work place (James 3:6).

The next time you say, “I probably shouldn’t say this, but…,” you almost certainly shouldn’t say it. The next time we say, “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but…,” we should almost certainly stop in mid-sentence and say, “And on second thought, I won’t.” 

I can assure you that I will never be training eagles. (That one at Auburn that flies around the stadium is scary.) But I must seek wisdom from above to tame the tongue (James 3: 13-18).