Nancy Pearcey — professor at Houston Christian University and author of Love Thy Body, whose work on human dignity and relationships shows how our words either honor or diminish the image of God in others.

From the writers we read together

Nancy Pearcey

Professor, Houston Christian University; author of Love Thy Body

Proverbs is not naive about conflict—it is precise about it. The soft answer does not deny the dispute; it changes the atmosphere in which it happens. Harshness meets resistance; gentleness opens ears. This is not weakness but wisdom—the understanding that how you say something determines whether it can be received.

Pearcey argues that the way we speak to people reveals what we believe about their dignity. Every conversation is a test of whether we see an image-bearer or merely an obstacle. Today you will face moments of friction—potential conflict. In each one, you can choose the word that stirs up anger or the word that turns it away.