Thoughts for the Day

A wise child makes a glad father,
but a foolish child is a mother’s grief.
Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death.
A slack hand causes poverty,
but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
A child who gathers in summer is prudent,
but a child who sleeps in harvest brings shame.
Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.
The wise of heart will heed commandments,
but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offences.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Chapter 10 of Proverbs begins a new section of the book. We might think of the first nine chapters as an introduction, and now we get many short proverbs, of either one or two lines. They are easy to learn and remember, and often are written as a contrast to one another. These continue for the next twelve chapters.

This section starts with a reminder that our wisdom or our foolishness affects not just ourselves, but also others like our parents or family. Following this is the message that the wicked do not gain by their work, which must surely remind us of the story that Jesus told of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16.19-31). There are warnings against being lazy and against not heeding warnings.

But the most important comments come at the end of this passage. 'Hatred stirs up strife,' and who can doubt that when we look at the violence that has erupted around the world recently. When people feel life is difficult for whatever reason they often want to blame someone - immigrants, those of a different culture or religion, or the Government for not sorting out their grievances. Suspicion feeds rumour and surmise, until imagined faults become reality. All of this is fuelled by social media. As Mahatma Gandhi once said " An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”

The passage ends with these words: 'But love covers all offences'. It doesn't mean we hide offences, but love acts to reconcile differences between people, removes things that aggravate the situation. In other words love pours water not oil upon the flames of hatred and violence. As Christ has forgiven us our sins, so we must forgive others.

Lord God,
help us not to add fuel to suspicion and rumour,
or to pass on gossip as though it were fact.
Give us the insight to see how to calm situations
and to check rising hatred.
May we learn to treat all people
as we would wish to be treated,
and spread Your love to all whom we meet.
Amen.