Psalm 5, 6; Jer. 36:27-37:2; 1 Cor. 14:1-12; Matt. 10:16-23
We spend so much time preparing our defenses in advance: it’s like our daily lives are jury trials and we’re always trying to win the box to our side. Instead of listening and trying to understand, we spend our time not listening and trying to silence. My rhetorical flourishes, the number of my ALL CAPS, the use of words that poison the well, the ad hominems and slippery slopes, they’re all tools we use to win. But sometimes, my winning is our losing: sometimes, it’s in the very act of compromise that we all move forward together. God compromised with us, after all: having failed to persuade us by mighty hand and outstretched arm and thunderous ‘thou shalt nots,’ He deigned to make Himself known as a baby, the helplessest of all helplesses, and then went on to forgive those who thought they’d won the day.
Yes, be wise, but also be innocent. Stop preparing your defense in advance: sometimes, you might even find that no one was prosecuting you to begin with, that it was your pugnacious attitude that ratcheted up the temp. Be wise, but innocent, and stay the course. Without having to consult your notes while the other person’s talking…
