The Season of Politics
(Fall 2008)
As we enter the "silly season" of national politics, it might be wise for us to all be cautious about what to say and when to say it. A number of problems in our lives occur because we say the wrong thing, or we say it at the wrong time, or we say it in the wrong way. A 30-second tirade can damage a 30-year career or a 30-year marriage. To avoid it, we can look at Solomon, who in Proverbs gives us all some excellent advice.
Solomon first tells us to be cautious about what we say and to never miss the opportunity to "shut up." (See Proverbs 17:9, 14 and 27). He reminds us that it is not necessary to give our opinion on every subject, to have the last word in every argument, or to draw the line on every issue. Sometimes, we just need to keep our thoughts and words to ourselves.
Nevertheless, it is not enough just to shut up. God has not called us to take vows of silence like medieval monks. He gave us the capacity for human language, and wants us to use this capacity to build others up (Proverbs 10:11, 19). For example, Lou Gehrig when he began his baseball career went into a slump and thought of quitting. A friend of his, Paul Krichell, heard about this, and took a train to Hartford and invited Lou to join him for a steak dinner at the Bond Hotel. Lou poured out his frustrations, and Paul could see that Lou's confidence was shot. He spent the evening telling his friend that all hitters go through a slump. Even the best ones, like Ty Cobb, do not get hits six or seven times out of ten. But eventually good hitters start hitting again, and since you are a good hitter, so will you. After dinner, Gehrig walked his friend to the train and thanked him for coming. The next day, Lou began blasting the ball again, and over the next eleven games came through with 22 hits, including six home runs. After that, his career took off. Sometimes we need to take a train, track down someone, buy them a steak, and encourage them with wise counsel.
At other times, we need to "speak up" (Proverbs 31: 8-9). In 1955, when Rosa Parks was a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, the city buses were segregated. One day, Rosa got on the bus, went back to the black section and took the first available seat. A few stops later, the bus filled up, and a white man got on. The bus driver demanded that Rosa give up her seat, and she spoke four words that changed history: "No, I will not." With these words, she almost single-handedly launched the Civil Rights movement in the United States.
In summary, if a lightning bolt struck a transformer near our house, it could send a powerful surge of electricity through our electric lines and into our house, frying much of our electronic equipment. That is why we have surge protectors that interrupt the flow of electricity before any damage is done. The Book of Proverbs provides us with many spiritual surge protectors and circuit breakers. When the air around us becomes static with anger, and our social atmosphere changes as often as the weather, we need to become more like our Lord Jesus Christ, who spoke so powerfully, that no one else ever spoke as He did. In this important election year, as with so much else of our lives, let us think about what we say, and pray that the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts, be always pleasing in His sight.
Have a wonderful, Spirit-filled, new year in Christ.
Best Wishes,
Fr. Eric James Weaver +