One of my favorite proverbs is: “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.” (Proverbs 18:17).

I don’t just apply this wisdom to lawsuits, but to any situation where I’ve heard only one person’s version of events. I try not to draw any conclusions until after I’ve heard the other side. And, indeed, there often isn’t ONE other side. Usually, there are MANY other sides.

This wisdom from Proverbs is especially important in the Twenty-First Century, when we evaluate news and when we evaluate the views of a politician and a political party.

I must confess that I am so wearied from the constant misleading allegations and smears that I generally skip past the misleading “clickbait” titles without reading the underlying article. Instead, the title itself confirms what I already believe about the topic or the person.

This is a dangerous assumption by me and others. Social media and its algorithms are especially effective in reinforcing previous opinions without any research or reflection by me or others.

This is similar to jumping to conclusions in the way condemned by Proverbs 18:13: “To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.”

Therefore, everyone—and especially followers of the Way of Jesus—needs to be wise enough to listen before we answer.

Jesus listened to the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:4-26). Jesus listened to the learned Pharisee Nicodemus. (John 3:1-21).

After listening, he answered them with wisdom—the wisdom that begins with respect for the LORD. (Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10-12).

These wise words of Jesus embody the wisdom of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Matthew 5:17).

We need to put the wise words of Jesus into practice in the Twenty-First Century, building our lives and our civilizations like a house built on rock. Therefore, when rain comes down, streams rise, and winds blow and beat against us and our civilizations, we will not fall. (Matthew 7:24-27).

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Do you listen carefully to other people? How? Why?

Does how carefully you listen to someone else depend on whether you agree with them? How? Why?

How do you find people who will offer differing ideas and positions from yours? How carefully do you listen to them?

Have you ever changed your mind after listening to another person explain their ideas and positions? How? Why?

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For related ideas, please read my blogs “Deceptive-Drawings-Designed-To-Deceive-and-Divide”: “Acting Wisely: Searching for Wisdom Everywhere”; “Juneteenth: Frederick Douglass Denounces America’s Hypocrisy”; “Hypocrisy: Calloused Hearts”; “Hypocrisy: Specks and Planks”; “Pandemic Wisdom: Hear and See, Understand and Perceive”; “Meditations: Listening”; “Proclaiming the Whole Counsel of God”; “Alcatraz: Escaping by Using ‘Countervailing Powers’ Wisely”; and “Beware the Union of the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of the Kingdoms of the World”.