While walking around my yard, I heard the sound of a cacophony of crows flying into and landing in the tops of the trees nearby. I went looking to get a closer view of them. They sounded like they were either fussing at each other or were agitated at something around them. I couldn’t see anything unusual.

After a few minutes, they flew away and, or course, took their noisy sounds with them. When I went inside, I looked up the meaning of the word cacophony. The basic word comes from “bad sound”. It was further defined as a harsh discordant mixture of sounds.

When I looked at some of the synonyms, their meanings, and examples of usage, several of them had to do with music or the sounds of people or animal voices. We have been helping to feed the neighbor’s two cats while they were away. As we would walk toward their bowls, sometimes we would hear them meowing before we saw them.

The meowing or purring of a cat can be comforting to some people. So can the barking of a dog who greets its owner when he or she arrives home. But the growl of an unknown dog or the rattle of a snake can create fear in an instant.

In the same way a human voice can bring comfort or fear. The cry of a child or a baby can bring a parent running to see what is wrong. But laughter from that same little one brings joy and a smile. The tone or inflection in a voice sometimes gives more meaning than the words being said. One of the disadvantages of texts and emails is that you don’t hear the voice and the emotion behind the message.

The book of Proverbs includes many verses about how and when to speak. These verses from Ephesians also give some good advice for all of us as we relate to others. (Eph. 4:25, 29, 31-32 NLT)

²⁵ So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

 ²⁹ Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.