A Little Less About That

by Mary Luti | published on Apr 14, 2026

Never be rash with your mouth; let your words be few. For dreams come with many cares, and a fool’s voice with many words. – Ecclesiastes 5:2-3 abridged (NRSV)

Scroll through your socials and you’ll discover that everything is incredible, (totally) unique, great, and amazing. The daily news? Bombshell! A good sermon? Powerful! Something characteristic? Iconic! That (fake translation of a) Rumi poem? Stunning! Political enemies? Fill in the blank.

All this breathless aggrandizing distorts our sense of scale and value. When everything’s amazing, amazement doesn’t amaze. When everything’s great, greatness is a dime a dozen. If something insists on being ordinary, without a few shrill exclamation points, it seems like a failure.

There once was a therapist who, in a less professional and charitable moment, was tempted to ask her talky, exaggerated client, “Would you like to say a little less about that?”

I second that emotion. When everything is all aggressive caps, less would be (ahem) REALLY GREAT! And if not less, then at least more modest, adequate, and understated. Not to mention more honest and reliable.

I’ve always believed in the resurrection more because of what the Gospels don’t say about it than what they do. It’s the text’s discretion about the mystery that persuades. You can trust a story that respects itself.

In a world where undistorted valuations are nearly impossible to come by, to be judiciously restrained is not a matter of style or taste, but of life and death. We’re called to tell the truth against the lie. Restraint lends credibility to our word.

God calls us to speak, to be sure. To speak at great cost. Even to speak a lot. The world needs all the true, bold, trustworthy speech it can get. What it doesn’t need is hype.

Prayer
God, help us discern and measure so that when we speak, and speak of you, our chosen words ring true.

Mary Luti About the Author
Mary Luti is a long time seminary educator and pastor, author of Teresa of Avila’s Way and numerous articles, and founding member of The Daughters of Abraham, a national network of interfaith women’s book groups.