The hauntingly complex song “Play Crack the Sky” by early 2000s emo artist Brand New offers emotionally ambiguous lyrics filled with layered, metaphorical imagery that leaves the listener projecting their own experiences into the song. This makes it both deeply personal and universally relatable, a blank canvas for listeners to interpret the meaning however they want. 

But embedded in the north center of the song is a straightforward Biblical reference (James 3:4) that can be understood to mean only one thing: our tongues have the power to destroy.

“Your tongue is a rudder

It steers the whole ship

Sends your words past your lips

Or keeps them safe behind your teeth

But the wrong words will strand you

Come off course while you sleep

Sweep your boat out to sea

Or dash to bits on the reef.”

In Proverbs 13:3, we are reminded that “Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.”

We live in a world that is fast and furious, and our tongue can have a tendency to maintain that speed. Whether it’s gossip, slander, harsh words, or empty chatter, most of us, at one point or another, have allowed our mouths to crash our ships into a reef that has resulted in damaged relationships or ruined reputations.

It’s helpful to think of our words as seeds we are sowing. 

What will the words we plant today harvest 

tomorrow,

next month,

next year?

Lord, help us to inspect our word-seeds through the lens of truth and love before we scatter them on the soul-soil of those around us.