Four letter words, have you got a favourite one?

..and why are so many of them associated with parts of the body

Not all Four-Letter Words have four letters in them though do they? 

But not all Four-Letter Words are swear words are they?

Have you got a favourite one?

Love is probably at the top of the list for many people.

But there are also words like care, kind, hope, give, heal, lush, kiss – no snogging in the back row please.. 😊

And then there are those Four-Letter Words that people can’t decide if they are good or bad. Apparently some people think that the words ‘They/Them’ are bad Four-Letter Words.

They are wrong.  

I’m sure that everyone here would say that ‘They/Them’ are amongst the most beautiful of Four-Letter Words because they belong to wonderful people who know who they are.

After all, (but don’t tell some of those who want to hit you with verses from the Bible – they would have a bit of a wobble) the Book of Genesis proclaims that God is the original ‘They/Them’ because we all know that God is male and female!   Both together not either/or.  If it were not so then Creation could never be proclaimed as being good

Sometimes Four-Letter words are set against each other as if they have equal weight.

How many times have you seen someone who has the word L-O-V-E tattooed on the knuckles of one fist and the words H-A-T-E on the knuckles of their other fist, as if somehow, just because they were opposites the two words were equal.

I want to say tonight as loudly as I can that not all Four-Letter Words are equal.

Some are vile and evil and spread only fear and hate.  

They lead to despair and darkness even for those who shout them the loudest.

Other Four-Letter Words are rich and full and offer life and hope.  

These lead to a future where everyone is valued and cherished and everyone prospers.

In the world of Four-Letter words the fight between the Dark side and the Light side is a no contest

There is no either/or when it comes to Dark and Light (regardless of what Star Wars would have us to believe.)

When the Light shines the darkness vanishes.

When Love is shared Hate shrivels up and disappears like the early morning mist chased away by the joy of a bright new dawn.

Hate always loses because Love always wins.  

It’s a lesson the human race has learnt down the ages again and again and again.

Love Wins!

Sometimes this is not always easy to see.  

Sometimes it feels that we are surrounded by hatred and have to hide who we are because others fear the power of our love.  

Those times are the times when we must stand taller, care deeper, live kinder, love louder.

It is true that the night feels darkest before the dawn but just as surely as day follows night in the end we will all be living in the light, hate will wither and die and love will win.

My beloved friend Desmond Tutu, who was hated by so many for so many different reasons yet still had a heart overflowing with joy and laughter, knew this. 

He knew what it was to be hated for who he was 

He knew what it meant for his child to be hated because of who she is.

He knew all this and he still loved because he knew that Love Wins.

These are his words – let us make them our rallying cry:

Goodness is stronger than evil

Love is stronger than hate

Light is stronger than darkness

Life is stronger than death

Victory is ours through Him who loves us  (Desmond Tutu)

So let’s shout this out tonight and live it everyday.

Love Wins! Love Wins! Love Wins!