Last night I stayed up late watching The Ten Commandments for the gazillionth time. For those who are not old movie buffs, this is a 1956 re-enactment of the deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt based on the book of Exodus staring Charlton Heston. It is regularly shown on the Saturday before Resurrection Sunday. Every year I find something new. This year I was reminded how even the littlest action can add meaning to the story. When Moses comes down from Mount Sinai, Aaron has been reluctantly participating in the worship of a golden calf. After Moses appears and tells the believers to join him at the foot of the mountain, Aaron throws away the censor he is holding and moves toward Moses. For the first time I saw that censor as all the things I might participate in even when I know they are not of God – behaviors and attitudes taught by our culture. In our writing, the smallest word can change or add meaning to the stories we write. When we edit our writing, it is important to examine every word to determine whether it is getting our message across to our reader or if it is getting in the way of the message. For more information on how we can learn the craft of writing by examining movies, check out Kathleen Kovach's website.