The Lost Art of Language

The Lost Art of Language

By Colleen Dean, Contributing Writer

It may seem mundane, but one of the greatest gifts God gave us is our language. Our written word, the way we communicate through something as simple as body language, the way a picture can speak a thousand words in its depiction of an event—all of it carries weight.

So how did we go from the origins of speech to the slandering we see today? Cyberbullying and gossip have become not only commonplace, but sometimes encouraged as a bonding method among new acquaintances.

And the worst part is that we are all guilty of it, whether we know it or not.

In Genesis 11, God sees the pride of man take over in the tower of Babel and creates division of language to humble mankind:

“So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” 
Genesis 11: 8-9

On the surface, this seems harsh, as God’s actions in the Old Testament often do. Why purposely sow division when it seemed man was working in collaboration to accomplish something beautiful and triumphant?

Because His reasoning lies not in tearing man down, but in lifting him up, reminding him that he is not made for this world. The Tower of Babel came about because men sought to build something permanent on earth. But our earthly lives are mere blips when compared with what awaits in eternal happiness.

Sacred Scripture doesn’t just leave the topic of speech at the Tower of Babel, either. In the New Testament, St. James’ writing on the power of speech cuts deeply: “How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire” (James 3:5-6). He compares our words to the rudder of a ship, steering in small movements to create big waves and massive consequences.

If the earliest Christians needed this reminder, long before AI and social media entered the picture, how much more do we need it now? Our words can travel thousands of miles in an instant and never fully be rescinded once we hit “send.”

Unfortunately today, many people don’t see it like that. Christian or not, many people today succumb to a more egocentric religion in which, instead of following an objective Truth to direct their lives, they center all morality around what feels best for them.

The maximization of pleasure and minimization of pain has been around for thousands of years, and aptly paints a picture of how we treat one another in the 21st century, particularly as communication has become so widely accessible with new technology.

When the world revolves around ourselves and we do not answer to a higher authority that dictates right versus wrong, the way we speak and treat one another has everything to do with our personal feelings, giving no pause for anyone else.

The language we choose to use often has no consequence, at least not at first, because our words flow out of our consciousness onto a screen without a second thought. Texting, emails, social media—it all reeks of a fast-paced stream of thought that focuses on the individual rather than the whole.

With this self-religion comes an exorbitant amount of online slander and cyberbullying stemming from this loss of cohesive language. Ever since the Tower of Babel, we’ve lost the ability to see one another as people first, before we speak. Today, everyone is a profile on a screen, and our everyday thoughts are nothing more than scattered words. We spend hours doomscrolling with desensitized, glazed eyes, until nothing of substance remains.

So what can we do about this?

How can we affect change in small ways and spread Christian love with our words and content? 

Before sending a text, posting a comment, or joining in on gossip, let us instead ask ourselves: “Does this lift someone up, or tear someone down?” 

St. Paul gives us the accountability we need, as he often does in his letters, to keep our words directed toward the good:

“Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up . . . so that your words may give grace to those who hear.”
Ephesians 4:29

That may seem like a high bar for the group chat or your Facebook feed, but it’s a crucial reminder that our words were never meant to be a weapon for destruction. Our words exist to reflect our Creator, who breathed our lives into existence and gifted us with this immense power of language to be used to give glory back to Him.

As St. Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint, said, “All people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.” If we don’t give pause to the beauty of our language and the dignity of humanity as it looks today in the modern age, we will all devolve into photocopies of one another, constantly bickering, with no clear identity or knowledge of our inherent worth as a child of God.

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Colleen Dean is passionate about evangelizing secular culture through the written word. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Catholic Studies from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Her work has been published in The Washington Examiner, The College Fix, and Lone Conservative.

Colleen lives in Ohio with her husband and son. In her free time, she enjoys exploring nature and spending time with her family.