Read
9The Lord blesses everyone
who freely gives food
to the poor.
10Arguments and fights
will come to an end,
if you chase away those
who insult others.
11The king is the friend of all
who are sincere
and speak with kindness.
Reflect
We live in a world of conflict, a world of war. The joke of those who mock beauty pageants is that every contestant desires “world peace.” While most of us would love to see peace across the whole earth, most of us would actually settle for something a bit less ostentatious: peace in our families, work relationships and friendships.
This goal seems at least a little more accessible to us mere mortals! The Teacher in today’s reading reminds us that peace and blessing flow out of certain attitudes and actions. For instance, how generous am I? The Teacher reminds me that generous people are blessed because they feed the poor. What goes around often comes around, and those who sow generously often receive abundant blessing. And then of course, there is the whole issue of how I use my tongue. Is my speech gracious or am I a mocker, ridiculing and denigrating others? Do I have a pure heart that assumes the best about other people or do I love pouncing on their failures and foibles? The Teacher reminds us that when the mocker is thrown out, fighting, quarrels and insults disappear. In essence, peace reigns.
The great thing about a pure heart that assumes the best and speaks graciously of others is that it is attractive. The Teacher notes that such a person is the king’s friend. Of course such people are almost everybody’s friend, because those who promote peace are a warm oasis of sanity in world that is polarized, argumentative, judgmental and relationally dysfunctional. So the pathway to peace involves a spirit that is generous and gracious, that assumes and speaks the best of others and reaches out to help in time of need. While I may not be an essential cog in the wheel of world peace, perhaps I can be that key component of peace in my family, workplace and relationships!
Respond
Lord may your Spirit build in me a spirit of generosity and graciousness that opens up pathways of peace in my family, church, workplace – everywhere where conflict, war and strife abound. Root out the bitterness, jealousy and stinginess that will cause me to be an agent of unrest. May your peace reign in our lives! Amen.
Bill Taylor
Bill Taylor has been the Executive Director of the Evangelical Free Church since 2008. He previously serviced as pastor of Saskatoon Evangelical Free Church followed by District Superintendent of the Alberta Parkland District. He is a member of the National Mission LeadershipTeam, the International Mission Leadership Team and the Ministerial Standing Committee. He represents the Free Church on various Boards and Committees in Canada, the USA and overseas. Bill and his wife, Deb, have two daughters and one son-in-law. Publications: “From Childhood to Adolescence” - the history of the Evangelical Free Church of Canada from 1984 to 2005.