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I love today's lectionary readings -- which contrast foolishness and wisdom. From the book James, we get this warning about thoughtless speech:
"How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell.... /2
....For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue-- a restless evil, full of deadly poison." 3/
Sounds like Twitter. Especially the way the current president uses it. But he's not the only one! 4/
But we needn't be controlled by our worst impulses. There is an alternative: Wisdom. 5/
From Proverbs:
Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 6/
Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 6/
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you. 7/
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you. 7/
And what is made know by wisdom? In one of the most beautiful passages in scripture, wisdom is embodied as the female vision of God. This is from Wisdom 7: 8/
For wisdom is a reflection of eternal light,
a spotless mirror of the working of God,
and an image of his goodness.
Although she is but one, she can do all things,
and while remaining in herself, she renews all things;
9/
a spotless mirror of the working of God,
and an image of his goodness.
Although she is but one, she can do all things,
and while remaining in herself, she renews all things;
9/
in every generation she passes into holy souls
and makes them friends of God, and prophets;
for God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with wisdom.
10/
and makes them friends of God, and prophets;
for God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with wisdom.
10/
She is more beautiful than the sun,
and excels every constellation of the stars.
Compared with the light she is found to be superior,
for it is succeeded by the night,
but against wisdom evil does not prevail.
11/
and excels every constellation of the stars.
Compared with the light she is found to be superior,
for it is succeeded by the night,
but against wisdom evil does not prevail.
11/
She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other,
and she orders all things well.
12/
and she orders all things well.
12/
So, we have the inferno of the tongue contrasted with the eternal light of wisdom. One curses, the other overcomes evil. One destroys, the other orders. 13/
We all have a choice. Do I want to be ruled by words that add to the cacophony of these evil days? Or do I desire a path of wisdom, of light, life, and love? May we all consider our words today, and choose our way well. #SundayMorning #SundayMotivation 14/
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