Warning: Don't be a 'don'tist'! - October 21
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48, Ecclus. 7:4-14; Rev. 8:1-13; Luke 10:17-24
A woman named Louise was the caregiver for her father-in-law Art. One day after lunch, Louise advised Art to brush his teeth, as he had a dental appointment to address a broken tooth. Normally, the mental decline due to dementia would have swept away Art’s recollection, but on this day, he was sharp. He rattled off reasons against going to the dentist: “If the dentist wants my teeth cleaned, he can clean them himself…My teeth are fine; I don’t want the dentist grinding down my perfectly good teeth.” His final objection as they neared the office was this: “A dentist should be called a ‘don’t’ist,’ because I don’t want to go.”
Ecclesiasticus is full of negativity today, isn’t it? Almost every line begins with “do not”. That’s a lot of don’t. There is a time when having a message delivered in the negative form is useful, and there are other times when we tune out the warning. Rather than brushing aside these choppy tidbits of negative directives, let’s take a challenge: what of this rarely read piece of our Holy Scripture from the Apocrypha calls us to grow and do?
Let’s look first at public office. Ambition for public prestige can be dangerous, as we hear in the opening verses appointed for today:
“Do not seek from the Lord high office, or the seat of honor from the king.
Do not assert your righteousness before the Lord, or display your wisdom before the king.
Do not seek to become a judge, or you may be unable to root out injustice; you may be partial to the powerful, and so mar your integrity.” (v. 4-7)
We are in the final two weeks before the 2020 presidential election and in the midst of confirmation hearings for a Supreme Court Justice nominee. How are we called to grow and be in these words of wisdom? I hear a call to lean into humility when serving in roles of authority...whether as CEO of a business, or the parent-on-duty during dinner time. I wonder…what openness and understanding awaits us in being modest.
Secondly, prayer. The writer offers wisdom about how we present ourselves to God:
“Do not grow weary when you pray;
do not neglect to give alms.
Do not babble in the assembly of the elders,
and do not repeat yourself when you pray.” (v. 10, 14)
We find ourselves seven months into pandemic and societal change. People are losing loved ones to disease. Financial security is tenuous for many. Maybe we wonder if our prayers to God are being heard. How are we called to grow and be in these words of wisdom? Perhaps it is a call to simplicity and honesty when we pray. I also offer the wisdom Mary Oliver, in her poem “Praying”:
Praying
It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.
Friends, as you face another day, mull over these tidbits of wisdom: Care for your teeth and those around you. Be humble as you serve. Be honest as you pray. Be loving as you live.
-- Katherine+
(Acknowledgement: The vignette shared is from a book by Louise Carey called The Hedge People: How I Kept My Sanity and Sense of Humor as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver.)
Questions for Reflection
When hearing “do not” or “never do this”, do you follow the direction, or challenge it?
Are you more likely to offer directives, or open-ended invitations?
Daily Challenge
Listen to the words you use today. When are you saying phrases in a negative way? Be attentive to your tone and choose to turn your words and your mind into a more positive, open mindset. Write down reflections on how this felt – was it hard to do? Easy to try? What did you learn about yourself? Tell a friend this week about your experiment.