“Peace is built in the heart and from the heart, by eliminating pride and vindictiveness and carefully choosing our words.”
– Pope Leo XIV
When I was in college, I had a semester-long internship in a government office. I’ll never forget when the sweet office manager received a fancy label maker for her birthday. This was back in the days of paper files, and she was using a manual squeeze labeler that took forever to work. Now, she could simply type, print, and stick. The gift quickly turned into a nightmare as she began labeling everything. I remember walking into the office kitchen to see each cabinet with no less than 10 labels describing what was inside. This tool that was meant to help order was now making things look like a mess.
Fast forward to the present day. I was at a conference chatting among a small group of strangers when someone asked if anyone knew the leader of a specific ministry. Another person responded rather quickly that she heard the person was a [insert unflattering label]. Uncomfortable with the casual way this label was offered, I asked the labeler how she knew this information. She couldn’t offer any specifics and didn’t want “to speak on behalf of others.” Yet she already had, and I’d venture to guess that the label she used had stuck.
While I wanted to judge her, I couldn’t help but think about how quickly I can label events and people and how dangerous it can be. We might think we are doing it to bring order or clarity. But like my internship office manager, if we are not careful, we can begin to get in the habit of throwing labels around that ultimately make a mess.
As a leader, and more importantly as a disciple, how prudent am I with my labels? How intentional am I with my descriptions, especially of others, so that I do not classify their whole person as a certain thing—even if I might be challenged by a few of their actions? Am I careless about assigning labels that could do harm, especially when I don’t have firsthand experience or can’t articulate the reasons behind my descriptions?
As we continue to make sense of the world around us this week, let’s be sure to lead, talk, and live in a way that exemplifies the most important label: a Disciple of Jesus Christ.
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