Often we fail to recognize the power of our speech, our language, the words we use. A public speaker once began his address by commanding his audience to "stand up." Then he said, "Turn and face the back of the church ... now turn and face me." Finally he commanded them to "sit down." "The point I am making," he explained, "is that words have power. They can make things happen. They can be bullets which penetrate the heart, wounding the one for whom they are intended. Or they can bring joy, celebration, healing. Consider the difference between the two statements, ‘I love you; I hate you.' Words can wound and words can heal."

This lesson is particularly poignant for our day. We spend a great deal of time thinking and talking about our diets. We are pre-occupied with what we eat, how we eat…