About Those Words

Words! We speak them, write them, sing them. I’ve read a theory that words we say remain in the air forever and could be picked up on the correct frequency by the correct electrical receptors. That sounds a bit far-fetched, but be that as it may, sometimes words lodge in our hearts and mind and stay there forever. Words have terrific impact and we have innumerable choices for expressing ourselves. Knowing that, why do some use ugly, nasty, dirty words? It’s sad to hear that words once thought of as gutter language and for which I’d have had my mouth washed out, are now common place utterances and nobody blinks an eye.

Little Sand Lake by Missy Albrecht

On the other hand, some words are lovely in themselves. Vespers is one of those words. Vespers are prayers sung or said in the late afternoon or evening worship.  A friend and I agree that the very sound of this word brings feelings of peace. God has been with us through the day and won’t forsake us now that night is coming.

So many beautiful words are out of date now; they are as old-fashioned as the horse and buggy. Nevertheless they are words that are rich in meaning and beauty.

 

Vespers brings to mind other words too: eventide, the time after the sun sets; gloaming, a Scottish or Irish word meaning evening dusk; and twilight, the soft light just after sunset. If you haven’t heard the old song, In the Gloaming, it’s worth listening to on YouTube.

Every night, the quiet shadows still come and go softly. Evening lights grow dim and low as the day takes its leave. It is a time for quiet reflection, a time for vespers.

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