“But when words are many, transgression is not lacking.”

The 10th chapter of Proverbs begins the collection of Solomon’s proverbs.

Many, if not most, will not get this illustration. But my thoughts went to Eddie Haskell.

Who?

He was the well-dressed, blonde, good-looking friend of Wally. Wally was Beaver’s older brother in the 50s TV show Leave it to Beaver.

Eddie’s speech was smooth, ingratiating–and devious. He could use many words designed to remove himself from any suspicion of wrong doing implicitly blaming someone else.

We all rooted for him to be found out as a liar.

Have you ever caught yourself piling word upon word hoping that the resulting cloud of confusion would hide your transgression?

We certainly see it too often in the newspapers and TV news shows.

We should wait to speak and add weight to our words. Say what is necessary, and no more.

I think I’m done for today.

“For whoever finds me finds life

and obtains favor from the LORD;

but those who miss me injure themselves;

all who hate me love death.”

Meditating on the 8th chapter of Proverbs today along with thinking about my latest reading of a nutrition book.

I’ve just finished a book on nutrition called The Plant Paradox. This is a study of lectins. They are bad things. They make us fat and unhealthy.

It’s the opposite of Why We Get Fat. That began as a study of the science of eating too much sugar, then based a total meat diet on the comment of a paleontologist who said, well, ancient humans ate a meat diet. Therefore, modern humans should eat more meat, less other stuff.

I find these books all take a nugget of science and then overlay an avalanche of conjecture or story. Usually they are also internally inconsistent citing something that contradicts some of the science they are promoting.

Think about all the various theologies floating around.

They all begin with a nugget of knowledge from the scriptures and then weave a long and complex story (theology) around it.

As a young man, I was as prone as anyone to jump on the latest theological (or political or nutritional) fad. They sound so convincing.

Then I started reading some of the 1970s pop theology (some of which still lingers in some areas) along with the Bible. It opened my eyes. Ever since I’ve read all these differently.

Maybe I latched on to Wisdom–at least a little. She says, “Whoever finds me finds life…those who miss me injure themselves.”

That is true with nutrition as well as with theology. Seek Wisdom.

Walter Issacson has done deep research and written biographies of several men you could call geniuses. Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci (next on my reading list), Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein. I just finished the Einstein book.

Reflecting on his career while speaking at a conference I attended, Issacson said that they all shared certain characteristics–they were rebellious, they didn’t quite fit in with their contemporaries, and they could bring in ideas from numerous sources.

I was probably 10 or 11 when I first read a biography of Franklin. Even then I was impressed by his wide-ranging curiosity. He seemed to learn something about everything. Yet, he grew up poor and didn’t have the perks of wealth.

The Einstein book was enjoyable, if long. My wife said she had some trouble getting through it. I can believe it. All the stories about his wives and family troubles were hard to get through. But the detailed discussion about the developments in physics–ah, suburb. OK, so maybe she liked the family stuff and I preferred the physics.

By the way, it’s not true that he failed arithmetic as a boy. But his genius was not in math. He had friends who helped out on the math side of the theories.

Einstein didn’t accept all the common knowledge about physics of the day. As he pondered the influential experiments and thoughts of the late 19th century, he performed thought experiments. That is, he used his imagination.

In fact, one saying attributed to him concerns the importance of imagination over rote learning.

He said later in life that one doesn’t attend college to learn facts. You go to college to learn to think.

I was no doubt influenced by that statement many years ago when I formulated my description of an educated person (note that it says nothing about degrees)–you learn how to learn, you learn how to think clearly, you learn how to express yourself.

In fact, while I respect the tenacity of those who have advanced degrees, I got that out of my system early. The university shut down the program I was in. After getting accepted at a couple of other universities, I looked at the curriculum and decided to study what I wanted. I’ve always viewed a degree as a certificate that entitles the bearer entry into a club.

In that respect, I’ve always sided with the greater Marx philosopher–Groucho. “I don’t want to join any club that would want people like me as a member.”

As for Proverbs, today’s chapter advises young men (of all ages I presume) to take delight in the love of their wives and not to be seduced by the smooth talk of a “strange” woman.

“For human ways are under the eyes of the LORD,

and he examines all their paths.

The iniquities of the wicked ensnare them,

and they are caught in the toils of their sin.

They die for lack of discipline,

and because of their great folly they are lost.”

My January Yoga class roster was nestled in my mailbox at the Y. For the past 10 years, the January roster is filled with new names. Names that disappear in February.

I don’t think I’ve heard as much about New Years Resolutions as usual in general. Are people tired of them?

There was not one new name on the list. And only one new person showed up Tuesday.

Are we getting tired of the ever-cheerful, enthusiastic, goal-setting gurus?

Maybe instead of Proverbs in January (I read chapter 4 today, good thoughts there), we should look at the path laid out in Romans.

We are all sinners–>God offers us grace–>we accept–>we proceed to study and practice how to live.

John Fischer is exploring what church would be like if we adopted the AA 12-step model.

“I’m Gary, and I’m a sinner.”

“Hi Gary. Tell us your story.”

“I have now lived a year in grace, but this week I struggled with a sin.”

We are here to help you find grace today and stop living a sinful life (i.e., stay sober).

Dallas Willard pointed out years ago that church was the hardest place to practice that.

Back to the new year. What if we began the year realizing where we actually are. Then we see a path and seek help. Then we practice daily.

Maybe the first resolution comes from Proverbs 4:

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

And add

Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

There are few things that you do for your body as good as a good night’s sleep.

The kind of sleep where you awaken refreshed. You have energy. You’re ready for the day ahead.

There are many tips out there in the Internet for getting a good sleep. Turn off your phone/tablet/computer. Don’t watch the news just before bed. Drink a glass of water. Get sufficient exercise during the day, but not just before bed time.

God has something to say about this. Check it out in the third chapter of Proverbs. I guess we’d call it a clear conscience. We have incorporated Wisdom into our daily life. We have served where we can. Avoided those we should avoid.

“My child, do not let these escape from your sight:

keep sound wisdom and prudence,

and they will be life for your soul

and adornment for your neck.

Then you will walk on your way securely

and your foot will not stumble.

If you sit down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

Happy New Year

Praying for a year of peace and justice.

Are you the kind of person who makes New Year’s Resolutions?

Either the week of January 8 or January 15 will witness my Yoga class attendance double in size.

By the week of January 29, back to normal.

I have experienced this for 16 years.

Sometimes there is a second rush the second week of February for a week when the procrastinators get around to joining the Y.

I once followed the self-help gurus’ advice. I can remember the list of 10 or so goals I’d write in my planner every January. My weight never came down. I never wrote that (unspecified) book. I didn’t become president of the company (kept working for companies that went out of business or had closed ownership).

Then I digested the New Testament.

What kind of person do you want to be? This is where you begin. Maybe put a couple of pictures at your desk or inside your journal. Or visualize someone.

When you make decisions during the year, bring that picture to mind. Here are a couple of suggestions.

“I am a fit and healthy person.” Then when faced with a decision about going to the gym or not, see the picture. Or faced with a decision of what to eat, make the right choice. Decisions establish habits. Proper habits keep us on track.

“I am a person who constantly learns.” So I read a lot. From a large variety of authors, subjects, fields.

Finally, be a grateful person. I just heard Michael Hyatt quote someone, “You won’t get what you want until you are grateful for what you have.”

See you in 2018.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Four separate accounts of the life of Jesus.

They are distinct in their approaches. They all agree on the person–Jesus.

I love the directness of Mark and the straightforward history of Luke. If you know someone who is new to faith and asks, “What is it about this Jesus dude?”, then suggest they read one or both of these. [By the way, I’d follow them up with Romans. Jesus introduces us to the Spirit. Paul in his letter to the followers in Roman lays out the path of our spiritual formation.]

DO NOT send a new person to John.

I love John. It is the most deeply spiritual and theological of the four. He sucks you into a deep dive into the meaning of many words–light, the world, “I Am”, true light, eternal life (the only definition in the New Testament), love, the Father.

John also deals frankly with the opposition–the world, Jews, Pharisees.

I mentioned yesterday that I am reading Walter Issacson’s biography of Einstein.

Einstein was born in Germany and lived in Berlin for something like 20 years. He was also born a Jew. He was not religious. He was, however, a member of the tribe (as he once put it).

As Issacson describes the cultural climate in the late 1910s and the 1920s, we begin to understand the German dislike (hatred?) of Jews. This, by the way was not new. When I was studying Marx’s thought prior to Das Kapital, I ran across an essay Die Judenfrage (the Jewish Question) written in 1848.

This helps to understand the thinking of the very influential German New Testament scholars of that period who tried to remove the Jewishness of the writings. With John, it seemed easy because the writing seemed Greek with the use of Logos, the Word. But that is actually a mistake. John was quite Jewish. In fact, looking at his apocalyptic work, The Revelation, with understanding of Jewish Temple worship and Jewish thinking will lead you away from the errors of so many interpretations.

Sometimes reading just relaxes the brain. Sometimes it expands our understanding.

Write someplace you’ll see daily, This year I will be a reader.