"How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water."
Most things that come in contact with a fire are either damaged or destroyed. And fire can grow large enough to engulf buildings and forests. These massive fires often start small but are allowed to grow to uncontrollable proportions. I must take care to recognize that my tongue is like a fire. It is small and can say small things, but it can inflame situations, bringing destruction and sorrow. What is the source of this destructive force within us? Hell. Our tongue is capable of great evil, bringing condemnation on our whole person and poisoning us and those around us.
For the Christian, this staining influence is an unacceptable contradiction. We are called to consistency. That which is compared to fire and poison should be used to bless God and man alike. It should not be used destructively.
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