Things That Aren't There

I have been thinking about how words can be more meaningful than the things they describe.

The human mind has some clever little things called "memory" and "imagination." Because of this we think about things that are either not in existence any more or possibly don't exist at all. Now maybe this is a "tree falls in the forest" question, but do those ideas even exist if we can't talk about them? Maybe or maybe not, but certainly the ideas take off and gain corporeality through discussion.

Think of a person you have lost. That person has a name, a word used to describe him. You can still talk about that person by name, remember your time together, and in many ways, keep him with you through shared memories. The person the name belongs to no longer exists, but the name continues to mean everything it did when the person was alive. The word is now more real than the thing it describes.

Now think of God. Some would say God is imagined. Whether He is isn't really important to this discussion. What is important is that what exactly God means is up for debate. The fact that we have a name for God allows that debate to take place. The fact that we can talk about God makes most religions what they are. Do you see how essential it is to have a word for something if we are to make it a part of our lives?

For the word to truly come to life, to create meaning, must it be spoken? Consider my examples. Remembering a lost friend is an activity normally done out loud. And although there are many persuasive religious texts, religion is also a very verbal activity.