THE OPPOSITE OF SNARKY....

The English language has some fun onomatopoeic words—meaning they “sound like” the action. I thought of that as we go through the holiday season with its rush-buy-party-etc busyness, and people can tend to get short-tempered. Or to use the “sound-like” word, snarky. It's defined as “bad-tempered, irritable, sarcastic, critical, indirectly mocking.” It dates to 1866 when “snark” also described how people “snorted” to express their displeasure. You get the picture.

Actually, we don't have to wait for December's holiday rush and frustrations for that personality transformation. Some people, sadly, are just that way, even past adolescence when the egotistic “everything's all about me” tends to surface in many. Whether through “attitude” or negative words, “snarkiness” wounds and often doesn't care.

My run-ins with snarky people probably have sensitized me to its depictions in the Bible. Surely that was true of the Pharisees in their reaction to Jesus. Or others who couldn't figure out why this carpenter's son from a little northern town was making such a big splash.

I suspect the apostle Paul struggled with that attitude when he was a good-and-proper (and negative) Pharisee. Then Christ stopped this hate-filled man in his tracks with a blinding, get-your-attention encounter. I “sense” the memory of this life-changing encounter in Paul's writings, like these naming "snarky's" opposite--gentleness--a word which in English carries a soothing feeling in its pronunciation:

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5)

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)

I'll keep this blog short. I think “gentleness” is best spoken of quietly. And I'll end with hopes that you will visit this gentle You-Tube of Bill Gaither singers sharing “Gentle Shepherd." As you listen, remember the One who called Himself the "Good Shepherd" and whose first post-birth visitors were....shepherds.

Bill & Gloria Gaither - Gentle Shepherd - YouTube