Contemplative Bible Reading

² Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
³ Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.

This must be a fairy tale, right? The purpose of these Proverbs is to teach people to be right, just, and fair. Why would anyone want to be right, just, and fair? Why would any sane adult think that you can be right, just, and fair and not be trampled every day?

Yet, here it is. These are the words in Proverbs. Perhaps there is something here that we are to take seriously.

First, some other translation use different words. The most oft-used are “righteousness, justice, and equity.” Perhaps those words are a bit more realistic.

Second, forget all the mincing of words. There is no excuse; we are to live what the world considers a fairy tale life. We are to be right as God tells us what “right” means. We are to live for justice for all people no matter how difficult and unpopular it may be. We are to treat each person with equal dignity and love.

Those things are not easy. Those things are fun on some days. Those things are the purpose of Solomon’s Proverbs, and I cannot find a reason why the rest of the scriptures don’t apply that way as well. So, what are we to do? Uh, how about striving to be right, just, and fair everyday – especially toward those people we don’t like? Too hard? Well, we can always pray and ask God to help us.

And some people say that being a Christian is taking the easy way out.