Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 4:29, NIV

I'm old enough to remember a standard that said, "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all." It was a Christian standard, to be sure, and it was one that was strictly enforced both in the home and in the school. We were taught that it was bad manners to say mean things to others - even if they said something mean to you. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" was another of those antiquated sayings of my youth. Like the first saying, this was also based on Biblical teachings, and the Word of God was accepted as the last word for behavior in Mo and Dad's home.

But today it is different. It seems you cannot even enjoy a sports star without getting into some type of sticks and stones argument. I remember when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson came into the NBA. The competition was fierce, and you were likely either a Bird fan or a Magic fan. But that didn't mean you couldn't appreciate the other guy, and most basketball fans did. The arguments that arose between who was better usually ran along the lines of the strengths of one or another. It was fun to watch these two, and they really did help to save the NBA at a time when viewership was on the wane.

Now, it is different. In the WNBA we have two new stars - Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. They too are fierce competitors, and both are excellent players. But their fans are insufferable for the most part. When they prefer one, they have to tear down the other. I have seen headline after headline of Caitlin Clark (my personal favorite) and these headlines tell a story of our modern times. When Caitlin does well, her fans are happy, but when she does not do well or when her team loses, then lookout! If she loses, it's the coach's fault for being stupid and incompetent. If she doesn't get put on the Olympic squad, it's because the league is out to get her. If she gets a hard foul, it's because everyone is a racist.

The list goes on and on, but you see the point. In years gone by the emphasis was in talking about people's strengths if you supported them. But in our modern era, any challenge to "your guy or gal's" greatness is perceived as enemy action. We cannot even appreciate something as simple as a good athlete in a game designed for entertainment without starting World War III.

And it's a shame, in my estimation, for we have lost something that was very enjoyable. Jesus warned that there would come a time that the love of most would grow cold, and I think that time has arrived. People seem to take offense at the drop of a hat, and sometimes they will "drop the hat" just so they can have an excuse to be offended. Simple disagreements over differences of opinions can rarely be settled by rational discussion anymore. Even when someone has a good idea, the result is often anger from those who don't think it's such a good idea after all 

So, instead of working together to have a better world by building one another up - even when we disagree. it seems that we tend towards tearing one another down instead. And the world has become a lesser place because of it

The good news is that there is a solution. We can return to "old fashioned" virtues of holding our tongues when we don't have anything nice to say. We can overlook offenses when someone is so ill-mannered as to be hurtful in their speech. And we can learn to love our neighbors as ourselves and to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

But if we are going to do these things, we better do them quick. Otherwise, the world will keep devolving to a meaner and meaner place, until finally there is nothing left but bitterness and hate towards one another. God has called us to something better, and His way really is the very best way of all. So why not give it a try and start saying things that will build others up for a change? We really have nothing to lose by doing so, but we have an awful lot to gain if we will.