In a dusty Cleveland attic during the depths of the Great Depression, two 19-year-olds, sons of Jewish immigrants, were playing with an idea. They spoke aloud a story that had never been told: a doomed planet exploding in fire, desperate alien parents launching their infant son across the stars, and a humble Kansas couple who would raise the child as their own. They imagined a shy, bespectacled reporter who wore glasses by day, and a cape by night.

Armed with little more than a pencil, a typewriter, and a world unraveling around them, Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born Joe Shuster, cousin to famed Canadian comedian Wayne Shuster, brought to life something entirely new. Not a gadget. Not a weapon. But an entire universe. The Superman universe.

At first, publishers rejected the idea. “Too unrealistic,” they said. “Too strange.” But desperation often fuels audacity. DC Comics eventually took a $130 chance buying the rights to the character, and in April 1938, Action Comics #1 hit the stands. Its now-iconic cover showed a man in a cape lifting a green car above his head, a bold symbol of hope and strength in a time when both were in short supply.

What followed was more than just comic book success. From the words and drawings of two dreamers came not only stories, but toys, radio shows, TV series, blockbuster films, legal battles—and roughly $7.5 billion in global revenue.

Before there was Krypton or Metropolis, before the Daily Planet or Lex Luthor, before the logo or the theme song, there were just two young men, a dream, a pencil, and the belief that a better world could be imagined, spoken, and drawn into existence.

WORDS CREATE WORLDS

The phrase “words create worlds” is attributed to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. He often reminded people that the Holocaust began not with weapons, but with words, defamation, propaganda, and hate speech, underscoring his lifelong belief that words have the sacred power to either build or destroy the world around us.

Words don’t just tell stories, they create worlds. In fact, YOUR words create worlds every day! The question is, what kind of worlds are your words creating?

Some of us are creating a barren world called Inadequacy for our spouse with our nagging words, where nothing feels good enough.

Some of us are creating a stormy world called Fear for our spouse with our angry words, where emotions are on edge.

Some of us are creating a confusing world called Defensiveness for our spouse with our sarcastic words, where affection is masked and sincerity hiding in the corner.

Some of us are creating a barren world called Loneliness for our spouse with our dismissive or absent words, where our spouse feels unheard and undervalued.

Our critical, interrupting, domineering, manipulative and flirtatious words towards others are creating worlds called Distance, Insignificance, Control and Insecurity!

But there are other kinds of worlds we get to create!

Well-chosen gentle words create a world best named Tenderness.

Encouraging words create in our spouse Confidence.

Forgiving words create an entire world of Grace.

Playful words create a beautiful place called Joy.

Grateful words create a place where people can rest in Appreciation.

Loving words create a world called Security.

NOT A NEW IDEA

The Bible beautifully reinforces the idea that “words create worlds” , especially within relationships, is Proverbs 18:21:

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

This verse speaks directly to the creative and destructive power of our words. In marriage, every word spoken has the potential to either breathe life into your spouse or slowly drain it away, to build a world of grace, intimacy, and trust, or a world of tension, fear, and emotional distance.

Think of it this way: every conversation is a construction project. With every sentence, you're building something — a refuge or a war zone, a sanctuary or a prison. As Scripture reminds us, your tongue isn’t neutral, it’s planting seeds, and one day you’ll live in the world those seeds grow.

And in the famous words of Superman himself, "It's not about where you were born. Or what powers you have. Or what you wear on your chest. It's about what you do… It's about action"

Now go build something!

FUEL & SPARK

Q: What kind of “world” do you think I most often create with my words—and what kind of world do you wish I’d create more often?

Q: Which “negative world” mentioned in the post do you most fear being trapped in, and what kind of words easily pull you into that place?

Q: What’s one small change I could make this week in how I speak to you that would create a better emotional climate in our relationship?

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