Grammar and Morality
Grammar is a school subject for many people, but for me it is an everyday part of life. On many days, I spend hours going over grammar details, issues, and questions with my proofreader. Does a comma go here? Do I capitalize this word? Do I italicize these words or do I put quotation marks around them? Are these two words hyphenated or not? She and I have a list we call “Words and Punctuation to Search Before Printing.” It has well over 200 items.
I’m not complaining. It matters to me that I am grammatically correct and that I write in a way that shows respect for all people. It is a challenge, though, because grammar rules change; and it can be hard to keep up.
Sometimes when I am going over one detail after another, I wonder: If our culture is so averse to any rules at all about morality, why do we still have rules about commas, hyphens, and capital letters?
You and I know that truths about morality matter exponentially more than marks on paper and screens. Thank you for trusting that God’s way is perfect, for caring about His rules, and for training your children to follow them.
The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Psalm 19:7-11