02-24-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
February 24, 2024
Tomorrow is the second Sunday of Lent, the second Sunday of our focus on the idea of a reset. Whenever a reset comes our way, a number of decisions need to be made, and among them is the question of whose voice I will listen to in the determination of my reset. The go-to answer is, of course, God. But who might God be using? In Proverbs 13, we read:

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise…

The word ‘walks’ should not be taken in a literal way. Instead, it describes someone who listens to the wise and then chooses to implement what has been gleaned from the insight of the wise. Of course, the wise are not simply book smart folk or those who did real well on their ACT. These might be true, but at the end of the day, the wise are those who know themselves and are able to look at the world objectively. They are not giving people advice from which they themselves will benefit. In fact, the wise will speak the truth to the best of their ability, even when it means their words will cause them harm. Do you know anyone like this? Do you have some people who are willing to sacrifice their own interests, even their own reputation, for the sake of imparting unvarnished insights into your situation? If you do, be thankful and listen.

Give me ears to hear, Lord God, from those whose passion for the truth will speak beyond self-interest or even a need to sugarcoat what might be a bit unpleasant. Amen.