Thought for Today
Proverbs 10:8 The wise of heart will heed commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
Jeremiah 5:21 Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but do not see, who have ears, but do not hear.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness,"
The meteorologists in New England are all abuzz. A high-pressure dome that has been over the midcontinent is now moving east. The forecasted high for today is 92oF. We have the potential next week for an official ‘heat wave,’ 3 successive days with high temperatures in excess of 90oF. Having lived in Texas long before home air conditioning was ubiquitous, I understand the interest and concern. There, however, summer temperatures in the 90s and above were common. In New England, summers are rarely so hot. Irrespective of one’s opinion about climate change or the cause of climate change, 90+o temperatures are a cause for concern when many have no recourse of sheltering in cooler environments. The concern is exacerbated for those of us ‘of an age.’
This morning, Greta and I went out into the yard early. We are reshaping the look of one of our flowerbeds. There are 3 plants put in by our homebuilder before we moved into our home. In the 10+ years we have lived here, the 3 plants have produced a sum total of 3 flowers (not 3 each, a total of 3 flowers in 10+years!). Those plants are merely taking up space, consuming water and causing frustration. Accordingly, we are removing them and will replace them with new, hopefully more abundantly flowering plants.
Ten-year-old hydrangeas have very large, very woody bases. After chopping and digging at the first plant for more than an hour, I was not making much progress toward moving the plant . . . and, I was very hot and sweating profusely. A job that would not have phased a younger man of 71 proved daunting for me now. I finally was forced to stop and go sit in the shade. Although I did not reach the stage of heat exhaustion, I was closer than I should have been.
Why do we do foolish things? Is foolish behavior inherent to our being human beings? Or, more frightening, is foolishness a characteristic of being a male? I’m debating whether or not to let Greta read this before I publish it. After 59+ years of marriage, I know her opinion. However, I believe foolishness is more than an issue of gender. I believe that numerous factors enter into our sometimes-foolish behavior.
The Bible offers a preference for wisdom and a negative bias against fools and foolishness. I’m not sure whether our society in general evinces the same attitude. Much of what we see in the news seems foolishness to me. Some of that is a function of age. The fads and preferences of the young are rarely identical with or even compatible with those of their seniors. I remember, as a youth, hearing my father complain about the rock and roll music my generation pioneered. I remember, as a parent myself, complaining about the “noise” my own children preferred. I’m pretty sure I offered the same complaints about their music my father offered about mine.
I will also, very reluctantly, admit that sometimes foolish behavior seems to be gender-related. History suggests to me that although women have sometimes been the cause for wars (Helen of Troy), Amazonian legends aside, women have usually not gone into battle. In recent years, our own nation has struggled with the idea of women in active combat roles. Are wars, at their heart, some atavistic descendant from ancient mating rituals? Most species of fauna have courting rituals wherein usually the males strut and perform elaborate dances to attract females. They sport colorful plumage and instinctive behavior to effect survival of the species. Are wars some version of such behavior?
Was I merely trying to maintain my image as a desirable mate when I attempted to ‘attack’ that hydrangea in today’s heat? Certainly I was not guilty of macho posturing! The symptoms I exhibited of fatigue and excessive sweating must (obviously) merely be a result of global warming or some result of our nation’s immigration crisis. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it!
Stay safe, stay cool, trust God,
Pastor Ray