Like many of you, I was saddened to hear that after more than eight decades in circulation, Catholic Digest ended its print run with the Summer 2020 issue. I have enjoyed writing my “Bible in 5” column for the Digest these past two years. Below is a column I especially had fun with and that readers seemed to enjoy. I hope you like it, too.
5 Proverbs to Live By
The book of Proverbs—a collection of wise sayings—is classified as “wisdom literature.” This means it is primarily focused on how to live a good, faithful, meaningful life. Wisdom literature relies on human experience and an awareness of God’s presence in our world and in our daily lives. In this column, we’ll explore five proverbs that are as relevant now as they were over two thousand years ago when they were first written. Here’s to good advice for a meaningful life!
1. How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver (16:16). In a world where we want everything fast and easy, and where we’re always expected to have a clever comment or a quickly-formed opinion, wisdom is no longer the valued commodity it used to be. Wisdom grows slowly from experience, patience, and listening. Those who have wisdom know its value. They know its value is greater than anything money could buy or anything that comes quick and easy. There is a great irony here—those who already have wisdom know its value; those who don’t may never be wise enough to seek it!
2. Rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (12:18). As a society, we are all too aware of the pain caused by harsh words. Bullying and cyber-bullying weigh heavily upon our collective conscience. And yet we continue to judge and lash out, whether online or in our homes, schools, or workplaces. It is partly comforting and partly disturbing to know that these “sword thrusts” have been a problem for human beings from ancient times. Once again, wisdom offers a corrective. The “tongue of the wise” not only makes better choices and refuses to inflict pain—it brings healing. What a gift—to be wise, and to heal others with one’s words. Lord, give us wisdom, that we may heal rather than harm!
3. Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full (19:17). Here is a rich proverb, and one that echoes throughout the pages of Scripture in both testaments. It seems that the way we treat the poor is the way we treat God (Matt 25:35). In other words, God identifies closely with the poor because he loves them so dearly. The poor are not always able to repay the good done on their behalf. Jesus will later preach that this is good—we should try to do things for people who cannot repay us (Luke 14:12)! This is because we should do things out of love, and not for our own gain. And yet the words of this proverb and the words of Jesus both tell us that God himself will repay us when we love and help those who have less than we do (Luke 6:35; 14:14).
4. Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it (15:17). What a wonderful image! I imagine my own family with a pizza delivery, or another night of pasta. But we are happy. There might be another family down the street or across the world that has a mansion, a personal chef, and a gourmet meal. But they may not have love for each other. And when there is no love, the food just doesn’t taste as good. I’ll take vegetables over a “fatted ox” any day. How about you?
5. Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life (16:31). Well, here’s a proverb we can all rally behind! Gray hair comes to us all, and although we may resist it with a variety of tactics, we can’t stop time. This proverb is about so much more than our hair color. It means that the longer we live, the more potential we have to live righteous lives. The longer we live, the more potential we have for wisdom, which is the crown of a life well-lived. Our modern American culture may not equate age with glory, but the Bible certainly does. So hold your head high and wear that crown of glory! You’ve earned it!
This column originally appeared in the February 2020 issue of Catholic Digest.
