When Laura and I were on sabbatical this summer, we were sitting in a hotel restaurant in Puno, Peru, having breakfast. A song was playing in the background, and Laura said, “Why are they singing... 'We all have an eggroll.'?”
By the third time they sang the chorus, she realized they were singing, “We all have an echo.” And then Laura made an astute, theological, and practical statement: “That song is speaking truth, because we all do, in fact, have an echo.” My wife is a pretty good preacher to this audience of one—me!
I listened to a podcast this morning of a well-known pastor who was lamenting some of the things he has said over the years, but he knows the impossibility of taking them back. They are saved forevermore, digitized in audio and video files that can be heard and viewed at a simple push of a button.
That made me think of the recent faux pas made by Tommy McClelland, the newly appointed athletic director of Purdue University: “We are here to win championships. If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.” Needless to say, the largest alumni base in the country (Indiana University) did not respond graciously. The line was so poorly received that McClelland later expressed remorse, saying he “instantly regretted” the comment.
We all have an echo.
This has been grievously true in my life, and maybe in yours as well. I say something or do something, and rather than it simply going out into the vacuous state of nothingness, it returns with residual effect. People are impacted by what we say and do. Spouses are impacted. Children are impacted. Friends are impacted. Churches are impacted.
The writer of Hebrews says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13, NIV).
But if you really think about it, what is true negatively can also be true positively.
We all have an echo.
Words of grace. Actions of kindness. Serving others. Those also have an echo. Forgiveness can break the cycle of bitterness and brokenness for generations to come. Responding with patience and peace rather than anger and aggression can create an echo that builds bridges rather than burning them.
So, here’s my challenge to you. Before you say or do something in a moment of reaction, pause and think about the echo effect. What you say or do will come back to you negatively … or positively. And the choice is yours.
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak
and slow to become angry” (James 1:19, NIV).
