Gabbing it up for Spiritual Health

 You may have heard a parent of this generation responding to the pique and raised voice of their child with the phrase "use your words." It's part of the "gentle parenting" movement which may end up causing nervous breakdowns for all these ultra-patient moms and dads but it is not a bad suggestion for any of us.

According to research we are speaking about 300 or so fewer words each year so the decline over a decade and a half has been dramatic. I heard about this on the CBC Radio program Quirks and Quarks and because I'm lazy I'll share their blurb about the segment: 

We're not speaking as much as we used to — and scientists are concerned -- April 17

People aren't talking to each other as much as they used to, and our gift of gab and our cognition may suffer as a result. Scientists compared the number of words people spoke per day over nearly a decade and a half. Valeria Pfeifer, from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, said they found that in 2019, people spoke an average of about 12,700 words per day compared to 15,900 back in 2005. The decline was significantly worse in younger individuals than older, leading the scientists to suggest the rise in smartphone use and social media may be playing a role. The study is in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science.

The outcome of our disappearing speech could be increased loneliness and both social and cognitive decline. We don't have to speak to a cashier in lots of stores now and we can texts friends and family rather than call. 

This got me thinking about taking part in worship and our use of words throughout the service. We sing hymns and we join in responses for prayers, something Rev. Isaac is strong in using. There are also the conversations that happen before and after the service. Ruth jokes that I "work the room" wandering around the sanctuary chatting people up including those with dementia who come with family members. 

The study notes that the decline in speaking is prevalent in the young but a lot of older people live solitary lives so wouldn't a chin-wag be of benefit? When I was in pastoral ministry I made a point of visiting those we used to call "shut-ins" (not a great term) and sometimes they would talk my ears off because they didn't have much contact with others.

Come to think of it, the bible was an oral tradition, sometimes for centuries before the stories were committed to papyrus or parchment or paper. So, gab it up, for Jesus' sake, and for our spiritual and mental health!