Readings for today: Proverbs 13-16
I am once again heading to a national denominational meeting in a couple of weeks. I do this every summer. Always on the third week of June. Most of the time, I look forward to the meeting. It’s a great chance to catch up with friends and colleagues from across the country. I love the sense of shared purpose and mission we’ve had over the years. I love the way we have tried to find unity in the essentials of the faith and given each other freedom in the non-essentials. However, in recent years, the mood has changed. Divisions have emerged as we tackle difficult issues. There is a lot of frustration, confusion, and even anger. Backchannel conversations are taking place. Battle lines are forming. Political maneuvering has taken the place of discernment. The tension is rising. It’s spilling over online and in person. Several pastors and churches have made good on their threat to leave the denomination and several more may be on there way out. It’s heartbreaking to witness.
As I prepare for the meeting, I find myself praying we would take a step back and follow the advice of Solomon. Humble ourselves before the Lord and each other - as we promised in our ordination vows - and speak gently and kindly and lovingly to one another. Here are just a few verses from today’s reading that come to mind…
“A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.”
“The tongue that heals is a tree of life, but a devious tongue breaks the spirit.”
“The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge, but not so the heart of fools.”
(Proverbs 15:1, 4, 7 CSB)
Sadly, these things are in short supply these days, even in the church. Gentleness is not considered a virtue but a vice. It is despised as people seem to prefer harsh accusations as they seek to tear down those with whom they disagree. A tongue that heals is considered weak and compromised. Much better to have a devious tongue when one is engaged in a fight. We no longer seem to be interested in broadcasting knowledge, much less wisdom, but instead delight in deceit. All of this flows from a heart that is far more interested in perpetuating conflict than pursuing peace. A heart that is more interested in winning a fight rather than winning another person’s heart. A heart that is arrogantly convinced of its own self-righteousness rather than humble enough to acknowledge it could be wrong.
Solomon’s words apply to every relationship in life, of course. I have seen marriages saved as couples commit to speaking words of healing rather than words of hurt to each other. I have seen friendships reconciled as people work through their differences with gentleness and respect. I have seen communities revive as leaders recommit themselves to the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom and push back against the rising tide of misinformation and disinformation that seems to clog the airwaves these days. But, as Jesus says, out of the heart the mouth speaks. So the most important thing to ponder today is the state of your heart. To give a gentle answer, one must have a gentle heart. To speak words of healing, one must have a heart that is healed. To broadcast knowledge, one must love knowledge and seek knowledge. Ask the Spirit to give you this heart so you might speak these words to those you love and live among.
Readings for tomorrow: Proverbs 17-20