Marital affair could cost man nearly $9 million

Keith King sued Francisco Huizar III for “alienation of affection,” among other complaints, after Huizar had an affair with King’s wife. King filed his lawsuit in North Carolina, one of a few states where a person can sue another person for breaking up his or her marriage.

A North Carolina judge has now ruled that Huizar should pay $8.8 million. He plans to appeal.

Meanwhile, CBS executive Leslie Moonves stands to lose as much as $300 million if the network cancels his contract. Six women are alleging that they were sexually harassed by Moonves over the years.

In other news, several states joined efforts yesterday to block a Texas man from offering instructions online for making plastic guns using 3-D printers. However, CNN reports today that more than a thousand people have already downloaded plans to print an AR-15-style assault rifle.

The weapons could never be traced if used in a crime since they have no serial number. They could slip more easily through metal detectors and would enable criminals to circumvent background checks.

What do these stories have in common? The power of words.

Words can be miraculous

Emily Dickinson: “I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word.”

Words dominate our culture. From the president’s speeches and tweets to congressional laws to judicial rulings, words define and govern our democracy. Not a day goes by when someone’s words do not make headlines, for good or for bad.

Words can be miraculous. God used them to create the universe (Genesis 1). Jesus is “the Word” of God (John 1:1). The Bible contains “the word of our God” (Isaiah 40:8).

All words are powerful. St. Augustine: “When I think about what I am going to say, the word or message is already in my heart. So that the word already in my heart may find its place also in yours, I use my voice to speak to you. The sound of my voice brings the meaning of the word to you and then the voice passes away. The word which the…