Mission Faithwalk

The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. (Proverbs 14:20)           How is today’s verse as a reconsideration of poverty and wealth? Begin with the sad reality that people flock around those who are famous, wealthy, or powerful in hope of gain, while the poor are avoided because they are seen as leeches. There is probably just enough truth to both those ideas to support the myths. Rich people feel used. Poor feel abandoned.            At the same time, in terms of loyal friends, it may be that those who ware shunned by their neighbors are poor, no matter how much money they have, and those who have many friends are rich no matter how much money they have. In that sense, I’m probably both richer and poorer than I realize. What percentage of my social media friends list are loyal friends, and what percentage would disappear if I needed their help? I don’t know. I’ve been shunned by people I thought were friends and helped by people I didn’t rea

  The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure. (Proverbs 14:16)           Not long ago in yet another conversation from two sides of a divide, the person with whom I was debating said some things that really didn’t make sense and started being less than polite. I think someone (maybe he) deleted the discussion. Later, someone else noted that he’d been “triggered.” Apparently, I trigger people, because this isn’t the first time it’s happened. Several years ago, someone who didn’t seem to mind the notion that he might end up in hell (he didn’t believe it exists) flipped out when I pointed out that if his five-year-old daughter followed in his footsteps, she would end up there, too. It’s simple logic. It’s Newton’s Law. Objects in motion continue in motion in the same direction and at the same speed until or unless something interferes. I think he was very calculated in his triggering. It was the planned response meant to force me to back down fr

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. (Isaiah   42:16)   By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going (Hebrews 11:8)           I remember an episode of Star Trek in which Spock is infected with some sort of organism that creates “joy.” While all the non-Vulcans who experienced it had no problem with the transition, it caused him great pain. The naïve native couldn’t understand. Everyone else had no problem. Spock responded (as I recall it) “I’m not like everyone else.” One of the ways that I’ve tried to explain myself to people is that I grew up wanting to be Spock. Emotions are difficult things, and if I feel them (and I do) I prefer that feeling to be hidden away from the world.

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. …Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright. (Proverbs 14:6 & 9)            Mockery. It seems to be one of the top ten Human pass-times. We love to watch TV shows and movies that allow us to look down on others. Voice an opinion that doesn’t happen to be popular, and both the opinion and you are likely to be mocked. In fact, I know people who post things in order to get a response, and then accuse those who respond of being trolls. That’s gaslighting. According to the Urban Dictionary, trolling is “the deliberate act, (by a Troll – noun or adjective), of making random unsolicited and/or controversial comments on various internet forums with the intent to provoke an emotional knee jerk (sic) reaction from unsuspecting   (or even suspicious) readers to engage in a fight or argument Trolling on-line (sic) forums as described above is actually analogous to the fis

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them. (Proverbs 14:3)           I tend to think of “lashing out” as what someone does in anger, not in pride, but since pride is the source of most of our anger, it fits. A number of years ago, I noticed that I end to feel a desperate need to defend myself from others, to lash out. It was a time when I was under constant stress at work, but I remember fighting back tears at work because I couldn’t shake this need to defend myself from everyone and to everyone. At some point in the past, I got a “gimme” letter from the National Organization of Women. Instead of sending them a check, I sent them a long letter asking whether they would defend me – a woman – if I were to come under attack for saying or doing something that didn’t fit their idea of what was right for a woman. Not surprisingly, I never heard back from them. Over the past ten years, I have come to feel more and more as though I have to defend myself be

If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay her father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. (Deuteronomy 22:28-30)            I’ve been floundering with Proverbs 14 for most of the day, so I guess I’ll try a really tough passage. Most people who read this passage horrific. What? Force a woman to live with a man who has raped her for the rest of his life? Heinous! It’s reason enough to reject the Bible, Judaism, and Christianity. Except, that’s not what it says. It says that he must marry her and provide for her for the rest of his life. It doesn’t say that she has to live with hi or act as his wife. All it says is that he has to take responsibility for her reputation and upkeep for the rest of his life, even if he takes other wives, and that in addition to paying her father fifty shekels.            Here's the oth

Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly, but those who despise him are devious in their ways (Proverbs 14:2)           I’ve mentioned both these before. I have been told “We can’t all live that way!” I’ve watched programs that are supposedly scientific begin with “Is it possible?” I’ve also had people ask, “Well, couldn’t God have used evolution?” People also frequently ask such questions as, “Well what about the poor teen whose father raped her and now she’s pregnant?” These are all progressive statements – not because they are used by people who call themselves Progressive, but because they are the beginning of a progression.          “We can’t all live that way.” Technically, I’m not sure we can’t, but I agree, it’s not likely that we will. In any normal population, approximately sixty-eight percent of the population will be well defined by the norm. Another twenty-seven percent won’t be well-defined by the norm, but will still substantially fit in. Approximately five percent wil

An honest witness does not deceive but a false witness pours out lies. (Proverbs 14:5)           I really need about six of me, all with minds that can sync. There’s just not enough time in a day to do all I wish I could do. Recently, I’ve been thinking about research about what members of certain groups really think about various issues. This morning, a friend posted a meme about letting boys play with toy kitchens or dolls. It asked why we want our sons to cook and clean but won’t let them play with toy kitchens, and why we want our boys to understand girls’ bodies and the power of “no” but won’t let them play with dolls. It ridiculed the notion that letting boys do these things might teach them to be gay.            Today’s passage is about honest and false witnesses. So, let’s take a look. If it is wrong for parents to be worried that boys playing with girls’ toys will cause boys to grow up to be gay, would it not be equally wrong to assume that letting boys play with toy gun

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests . (Proverbs 14:4)           Have you ever worked on a farm with cattle, even for a few days? I’m a city girl, but my aunt and uncle had a dairy farm, so I’ve walked through barns. They’re filthy. I don’t think theirs was especially filthy, but when you have more than two hundred bovines, it’s just reality. In my experience, even the most docile cow can also be obstinate. In fact, part of the reason bulls are castrated (thus manufacturing an ox) is because it makes them more docile. As I think about this verse and life, one of the ideas that comes to mind deals with people being the oxen of our society. I know, we’re technologically advanced, and we have machines that do a lot of heavy labor for us. But having worked in retail for a number of years, it always seemed to me that the goal was to reduce the number of people while demanding greater output. The corporation wanted good, stro

Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. ( Proverbs 14:10) Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus . (I Thessalonians 5:18)           Happy Thanksgiving Day. Another year has passed, and we’re in the holiday season again. I went to the store. I hope I don’t have to go back to the store for at least a few days. It is appropriate for us to take a few minutes to think about being thankful. I don’t do holidays well and this one is being a tough one. There’s too much unsettled. It feels as though I’m having to make decisions about the rest of my life, and no matter what decision I make, it’ll probably be wrong. But it’s the holidays. I’m supposed to be bright and cheery. Nobody wants to listen to a Debbie Downer whine. You’re right. And so those for whom holidays are a difficult time hide or put on a mask and pretend to be happy, because – well – how dare we interfere with someone else’s enjoyment of the season?

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. (Proverbs 14:1)           The research keeps reaching the same conclusion: single parenthood (and especially single motherhood) is harmful to the woman and to society. The Washington Post published an article some time ago that points out that it’s likely not just marriage that helps, but that it’s a certain type of marriage. That type of marriage is not the sort one often finds in poverty-ridden areas with high incarceration rates. [1] In social media, we keep being told that it’s wrong to shame these poor women, who are struggling against extreme odds. I agree. But I’ve noticed that the same sort of instability is found among the “rich and famous.” But I’ve noticed over the past twenty years or so that rather than address the problems these women face, rather than learning from their misfortune, the middle-class is emulating them. When I was growing up, I sometimes heard “If your friends

A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil. (Proverbs 13:20)           It seems as though for the past several years, as Snow Birds have come to enjoy their winter in the south, I find myself longing, maybe even coveting. Jealousy or envy rear their ugly head and I spend several weeks playing “Whack a Mole” with them. This year, the chorus seems to be that “I want a home.” I want a place that isn’t falling apart, is large enough to accommodate Dad’s walker or transport chair (wheelchair without the big back wheels so that the person in the wheelchair must be pushed), has two bedrooms (or at least a sofa-sleeper that isn’t tattered) and enough room for a bookcase and small desk. There’s lots more to the longing, of course, but that would be a good start. Last year, the mantra was “Bow the Knee.” This year, I’ve been telling myself and God: “The right place, at the right time, at the right price, in the right location, in the right way…” and someth

  Trouble pursues the sinner but the righteous are rewarded with good things. (Proverbs 13:21) But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith ; and everything that does not come from faith is sin . (Romans 14:23)           There’s a story about a man who had something bad happen to him. When his friends said, “How sad,” he replied, “Not necessarily.” Then something good happened as a result of the bad, and his friends said, “How fortunate,” and he said, “No necessarily.” Then something bad happened as the result of the supposed good thing. We tend to be quick to label things as “good” and “bad” from a very narrow perspective. Some of the “best” things that have happened to me have been some of the worst things, and some of the worst things, some of the best.           The things that most often separates “trouble” from “good things” are 1) desire and 2) faith. Good things are the things we want, and trouble is what we don’t. That one is

  A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing. (Proverbs 13:17)           Back to definitions. What makes a wicked messenger a wicked messenger? This is going to an extreme, but if a sniper were to shoot four people on his way to deliver a message, but he still delivered the message accurately and promptly, would he be a wicked messenger? I submit that he would be a good messenger while being a wicked man. I know that sounds ridiculous, but the point is that a wicked messenger must somehow be wicked about the message. A trustworthy messenger, on the other hand, opens the channels of communication. He brings the parties together in understanding.           So, the first way a messenger can be wicked is by being irresponsible. The message needs to be there by 3:45. He gets there at 3:50, or not at all. “Oh, I forgot to tell you….” The second way a messenger can be wicked is that the messenger communicates the wrong message, whether deliberately or

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.  Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. (Proverbs 13:18 &20)        According to the Brookings Institute, if you want to move up into the Middle Class, a teen should finish school, wait until after age 21 to get married or pregnant, and hold down a job. According to research presented in a video about privilege, the first indicator of privilege is that one has parents who are married to one another, living in the same home, and engaged in their relationships with each other and their children. In other words, privilege is based on whether or not one has a whole family as opposed to a broken one. Now, I realize that life is life, and circumstances can’t always be what we’d prefer, but that doesn’t change the reality of the findings.            There are people who think it wrong to “shame” someone because he/she isn’t part of a traditional fam

An unplowed field produces food for the poor, but injustice sweeps it away. (Proverbs 13:23)           Part of Jewish law required that every seventh year, fields were to be left unplowed, and whatever grew was available for whoever needed it. That gave every field a rest every seven years. I used to think that this meant that when year seven began, everyone left every field unplowed , but it occurs to me that one would be keeping this law if, for example, the person with seven fields left the first field to rest during year one, the second during year two, etc. It’s a longer rotation period than we’re advised to use now. Now, they say to give the land rest every 3 years. I should do some research into this for planning my gardens for next spring. The Jews were also commanded not to harvest every last grain or grape, but to leave some for the poor. This was called gleaning and it was considered unjust to be so thorough that one effectively swept a field clean.           I’ll admit

All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly. (Proverbs 13:16)         I’ve improved. I used to give regular lecture on the issue if feelings as a foundation of decisions. It still drives me more than a little nuts to hear someone say, “I feel ______ to be true.” You don’t feel truth or falsehood. You believe, you know, you understand, you have faith. Scripture doesn’t say, “You shall feel the truth, and the truth will set you free.” It says, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32) As I said, I’m better, but if you post something that tells me that we’re supposed to live from the heart, you’re still going to get an argument because that translates to me that we should chuck our minds in the garbage. It seems to me this idea is most often shared by people who don’t think they measure up intellectually. They can claim to have a “big heart,” and somehow, that makes them better than someone thinks. After all, someone can thin

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. (Proverbs 13:14)           In the past couple of years, social media showed videos of teachers who have come up with an individual “handshake” for each of his/her students. Each day, each student is greeted using that handshake in the hall before the student enters the classroom. This fall, there were videos about teachers who have turned classrooms into Hogwarts for their students. I’m not saying that these teachers are entirely wrong. My teachers sometimes decorated their classes, too. Engaging kids and making them feel wanted are not bad things. I’m sure these teachers meant well. But for me, this is one of those “But on the other hand…” situations.            But on the other hand, number one: The primary focus of our teachers should be in imparting knowledge. Over the past couple of decades, we’ve seen the dangers of giving kids a positive, entitled self-image and then watching the mel

  A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous. (Proverbs 13:22)           I have some problems with this one. One of the greatest sources of pain in my life is the fact that I have to depend on Dad. My goal from the time I was a child was that I was going to take care of Mom. I was going to provide her with a home, with food, with everything she needed. The problem isn’t that Dad’s here and Mom isn’t, the problem is that I don’t have the funds to care for him the way I wanted to care for Mom. As his caregiver, it's not that I don't earn my living, it's that he is paying it. It’s not that he doesn’t have money. It’s that I don’t, and because of that, I feel like a bad daughter. I’m not claiming this is a reasonable or realistic way of seeing things. But when I hear that a good person leaves an inheritance for their grandkids – it’s just the reverse of my heart’s longing.            But, Scriptu

Good judgment wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction. (Proverbs 13:15)           When I worked at my last “real” job, I remember that the corporation hired someone from Kentucky Fried Chicken. I forget exactly what he was supposed to do, but “the Chicken Man” was supposed to make everything all better. I have vague memories of his presence within the corporation for perhaps six months. I remember hearing about a woman, or a pair of women who were going to fix “the softer side.” I don’t think I ever heard anything about them after their introduction. It seemed to me from what the CEO said that we were his toy, the firm he got to experiment with and if an experiment wasn’t an instant success, the idea was tossed in the dustbin and some other “great new idea” was put in its place. Consistently, the CEO showed poor judgment, and he was faithful in his unfaithfulness. The company is now bankrupt.          Relationships also come to mind. I know people,

  Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it, but whoever respects a command is rewarded. (Proverbs 13:13)           This morning’s proverb is another of those obvious ones. We even have stereotypes… like men won’t use maps and then won’t admit that they’re lost or stop and get directions. Men won’t use assembly instructions and it takes three days to put together what should have taken two hours, but he’s “MacGyver.” We all do the same thing in one way or another. Just think about diets. Simple reality: if you eat more than you need, your body stores it and/or it does something nasty to your body. But we keep being told, we can eat anything we want as long as we take this pill or drink that beverage, or we can eat as much protein as we want as long as we don’t eat carbs, or if we just eat specific carbs, we’ll be slim and trim, because the truth of the matter is that we don’t want to obey instructions, we want to find instructions that will obey us.        But when we do live acc

Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. (Proverbs 13:24)           I’ll come back to some earlier verses, but this one is easy for me to write about. To begin… There are those who strike their children for the benefit of the striker, as an expression of anger or pain. I can understand that. There are times when I would like to strike out, to injure and punish people who have made me angry. That’s one of the reasons I don’t like to get angry. I haven’t beaten anyone. I don’t condone beating anyone. But I understand. On the other hand, there are those who discipline their children, including by spanking, who are not expressing their anger. They are teaching their children.           Last night at the laundry mat, a mother of three (one in a “backpack” harness.) The unrestrained children were being children. They were running around, shouting, one leaned in close to see what I was doing on my laptop. (“Boring!

Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. (Proverbs 13:11)           “This is it, our big hit. After this, it’s umbrella drinks on the beach in Uruguay.”           Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems to me that the whole idea behind dishonest gain is that you score so much money that you don’t have to work or worry about how to pay bills. Unless you are frugal and find investments with good rates of return, that means that over time, you end up eating away at the principle. As Scripture describes it, it dwindles away. At the same time, if you put even one percent of your income into investments, little by little, that investment will grow. It may never be big enough to let you live on, but it can help in emergencies.           Our society has a problem with delayed gratification – so do I. I knew an older woman who told a story of when she got married. They saved up the money to buy some land and have a foundation for their house dug out an

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)           This morning my heart is aching. Dad is having mobility issues. He spends all day on the couch, and so now he can’t get up. He has these notions about life and death that just aren’t working out the way he wants, and I don’t have a magic wand to make everything all better.            I find myself thinking about hope and survival. I’m beginning to see that I grew up in a somewhat normal late 20 th century home. We were raised to be hard-working, but food is as near as the grocery store, etc. As the baby of the family, and somewhat younger than the rest, I got some privileges my siblings didn’t. As I face the challenges of my life at the moment, I can relate to Dad’s difficulties. Things for Americans have gotten easy. We can spend way too much time on the couch of our lives (if not the literal couch) and therefore, we’re weak. We refuse to do the things that will keep us he

A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes. (Proverbs 13:8)           Sometimes, it’s tempting to think that what Scripture says is true is what Scripture says should be true. Today’s passage is rather cold. The rich are able to pay what is demanded from them to save their lives. The poor aren’t. The rich get away with crimes because they can afford to pay the legal fees or penalties. The poor can’t. It’s not a case of the way things should be, but a statement of the obvious. Now, I’ll make some other obvious statements. The rich can and do protect their riches, while the poor have none to protect.           But there’s another way to approach this passage. Those who take from the poor probably aren’t looking for money, or they’re not too bright. The rich are the usual victims when money is the goal. So while riches may aid the guilty, they also turn the innocent into targets. Poverty doesn’t help the poor guilty, but it protects th