Each time we speak the sound of our voice travels as an echo toward destinations beyond our initial audience. Our words do not fall to the ground and die. They are a powerful force that continues to echo an impact long after a conversation has ended or a statement has been made. When I wrote the book The Sound of Reformation, I unpacked some of the significance of that echo.

“These new, Spirit-indwelled disciples came to the Day of Pentecost in obedience to the marching orders Jesus had given them. On that day, a new sound was released: “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven…” (Acts 2:2).

“The word translated as sound here is ēchos: it means sound or noise (and is also the root of the English word “echo”). The same word was used in Luke 4 to describe the sound of a testimony created by the ministry of Jesus when a demon-possessed man was set free. It was also used in Hebrews 12 to describe the sound of a ram’s horn trumpeting the Israelites to attention to hear the word of the Lord. 

“That root word ēchos also forms the verb, ēchéō, which means to sound or roar and is found in I Corinthians 13:1 where Paul is defining love to the Corinthians: “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

The Church has been called to make the sound of love that will echo through each sphere of cultural influence. If love is not the motivator behind the words we speak then our righteous influence will diminish and we will be aligned with the sounds of another kingdom. 

Be wise in your choice of words, but even more importantly, catch those words in your heart before they fully form and escape to become a dark echo used by the enemy to show the world the sound made by the Church is no different than the sounds made by the surrounding unredeemed culture.

(Portions of this posting taken from the book, The Sound of Reformation. https://var/web/site/public_html.amazon.com/Sound-Reformation-Garris-Elkins/dp/0692884424/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BQY6JFDQWM5P&keywords=garris+elkins&qid=1555674542&s=gateway&sprefix=garris+elkins%2Caps%2C245&sr=8-1