Favorite verses from Sirach

Well, friends: School is school, friends are friends, life is life, and God is good [it so happens that 'God' and 'good' have a linguistic connection in the history of English; go figure]. I am still learning to adjust to life; or how to live it.

I recently read the book of Sirach, which is an "apocryphal" text not in the Protestant canon. It contains the wise sayings of a Jew named Joshua [or Jesus, in Greek], son of Eleazar son of Sirach. My text introduction says that it was composed by this Joshua sometime before 180 B.C. The Greek traslation includes a prologue telling us that the author's grandson translated it from Hebrew into Greek. This piece of literature was written during the period of time between the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Scriptures.

I thought it would be fun to share with you the many verses I found interesting, wise, or startling. Please realize I do not agree with all of these, and none of them has the inspired authority that Old and New Testament do for Christians. You may find, however, that these proverbs sound similar to, and cover the same subjects as those found in the book of Proverbs.
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6:6 Let those who are friendly with you be many, but let your advisors be one in a thousand.

6:36 If you see an intelligent person, rise up early to visit him; let your foot wear out his doorstep.

7:14 Do not babble in the assembly of the elders, and do not repeat yourself when you pray.

7:15 Do not hate hard labor or farm work, which was created by the Most High.

7:17 (Hebrew) Humble yourself to the utmost, for the expectation of mortals is worms.
7:17 (Greek) Humble yourself to the utmost, for the punishment of the ungodly is fire and worms.

8:7 Do not rejoice over anyone's death; remember that we must all die.

9:8 Turn away your eyes from a shapely woman, and do not gaze at beauty belonging to another; many have been seduced by a woman's beauty, and by it passion is kindled like a fire.

9:10 Do not abandon old friends, for new ones cannot equal them. A new friend is like new wine; when it has aged, you can drink it with pleasure.

10:4 The government of the earth is in the hand of the Lord, and over it he will raise up the right leader for the time.

10:9 How can dust and ashes be proud? Even in life the human body decays.

10:12 The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord; the heart has withdrawn from its Maker.

10:18 Pride was not created for human beings, or violent anger for those born of women.

11:7 Do not find fault before you investigate; examine first, and then criticize.

11:8 Do not answer before you listen, and do not interrupt when another is speaking.

11:9 Do not argue about a matter that does not concern you, and do not sit with sinners when they judge a case.

11:10 My child, do not busy yourself with many matters; if you multiply activities, you will not be held blameless.

11:14 Good things and bad, life and death, poverty and wealth, come from the Lord.

11:20 Stand by your agreement and attend to it, and grow old in your work.

11:29 Do not invite everyone into your home, for many are the tricks of the crafty.

11:34 Receive strangers into your home and they will stir up trouble for you, and will make you a stranger to your own family.

13:1 Whoever touches pitch gets dirty, and whoever associates with a proud person becomes like him.

15:17 Before each person are life and death, and whichever one chooses will be given.

19:24 Better are the God-fearing who lack understanding than the highly intelligent who transgress the law.

19:29 A person is known by his appearance, and a sensible person is known when first met, face to face.

19:30 A person's attire and hearty laughter, and the way he walks, show what he is.

20:8 Whoever talks too much is detested, and whoever pretends to authority is hated. [For example, Michael Scott, insolent and inane manager on NBC hit series THE OFFICE]

20:13 The wise make themselves beloved by only a few words, but the courtesies of fools are wasted.

20:18 A slip on the pavement is better than a slip of the tongue.

20:30-31 Hidden wisdom and unseen treasure, of what value is either? Better are those who hide their folly than those who hide their wisdom.

21:26 The mind of fools is in their mouth, but the mouth of the wise is in their mind.

22:14-15 What is heavier than lead? And what is its name except "Fool"? Sand, salt, and a piece of iron are easier to bear than a stupid person.

27:2 As a stake is driven firmly into a fissure between two stones, so sin is wedged in between selling and buying.

27:11 The conversation of the godly is always wise, but the fool changes like the moon.

28:2 Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.

28:7 Remember the commandments, and do not be angry with your neighbor; remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook faults.

28:22 [The tongue] has no power over the godly; they will not be burned in its flame.

28:24-25 As you fence in your property with thorns, as you lock up your silver and gold, so make balances and scales for your words, so make a door and a bolt for your mouth.

29:8-10 Nevertheless, be patient with someone in humble circumstances, and do not keep him waiting for your alms. Help the poor for the commandment's sake, and in their need do not send them away empty-handed. Lose your silver for the sake of a brother or friend, and do not let it rust under a stone and be lost.

30:9-10 Pamper a child, and he will terrorize you; play with him, and he will grieve you. Do not laugh with him, or you will have sorrow with him, and in the end you will gnash your teeth.
30:11-13 Give him no freedom in his youth, and do not ignore his errors. Bow down his neck in his youth, and beat his sides while he is young, or else he will become stubborn and disobey you, and you will have sorrow of soul from him. Discipline your son and make his yoke heavy, so that you may not be offended by his shamelessness. [ I wonder if vv.11-13 make use of an analogy to oxen: "errors=wanderings", "bow down his neck", "beat his sides . . . or he will become stubborn", "make his yoke heavy".]

30:14-17 Better off poor, healthy, and fit than rich and afflicted in body. Health and fitness are better than gold, and a robust body than countless riches. There is no wealth better than health of body, and no gladness above joy of heart. Death is better than a life of misery, and eternal sleep than chronic sickness.

30:21-24 Do not give yourself over to sorrow, and do not distress yourself deliberately. A joyful heart is life itself, and rejoicing lengthens one's life span. Indulge yourself and take comfort, and remove sorrow far from you, for sorrow has destroyed many, and no advantage ever comes from it. Jealousy and anger shorten life, and anxiety brings on premature old age.

31:5 One who loves gold will not be justified; one who pursues money will be led astray by it.

31:19-30 How ample a little is for a well-disciplined person! He does not breathe heavily when in bed. Healthy sleep depends on moderate eating; he rises early, and feels fit. The distress of sleeplessness and of nausea and colic are with the glutton. If you are overstuffed with food, get up to vomit, and you will have relief. Listen to me, my child, and do not disregard me, and in the end you will appreciate my words. In everything you do be moderate, and no sickness will overtake you. People bless the one who is liberal with food, and their testimony to his generosity is trustworthy. The city complains of the one who is stingy with food, and their testimony to his stinginess is accurate.
[now for some non-Wesleyan-friendly verses . . .]
Do not try to prove your strength by wine-drinking, for wine has destroyed many. As the furnace tests the work of the smith, so wine tests the hearts when the insolent quarrel. Wine is very life to human beings if taken in moderation. What is life to one who is without wine? It has been created to make people happy. Wine drunk at the proper time and in moderation is rejoicing of heart and gladness of soul. Wine drunk to excess leads to bitterness of spirit, to quarrels and stumbling. Drunkenness increases the anger of a fool to his own hurt, reducing his strength and adding wounds.

32:7 [At dinner . . .] Speak, you who are young, if you are obliged to, but no more than twice, and only if asked. Be brief; say much in few words; be as one who knows and can still hold his tongue. Among the great do not act as their equal; and when another is speaking, do not babble.

32:10 Lightning travels ahead of the thunder, and approval goes before one who is modest.

32:11 Leave in good time and do not be the last; go home quickly and do not linger.

32:18 A sensible person will not overlook a thoughtful suggestion; an insolent and proud person will not be deterred by fear.

33:5 The heart of a fool is like a cart wheel, and his thoughts like a turning axle.

33:10-13 All human beings come from the ground, and humankind was created out of the dust. In the fullness of his knowledge the Lord distinguished them and appointed their different ways. Some he blessed and exalted, and some he made holy and brought near to himself; but some he cursed and brought low, and turned them out of their place. Like clay in the hand of the potter, to be molded as he pleases, so all are in the hand of their Maker, to be given whatever he decides.

36:28 If kindness and humility mark her speech, her husband is more fortunate than other men.

37:13-15 And heed the cousel of your own heart, for no one is more faithful to you than it is. For our own mind sometimes keeps us better informed than seven sentinels sitting high on a watchtower. But above all pray to the Most High that he may direct your way in truth.

37:27-28 My child, test yourself while you live; see what is bad for you and do not give in to it. For not everything is good for everyone, and no one enjoys everything.

37:29 Do not be greedy for every delicacy, and do not eat without restraint . . .

38:15 He who sins against his Maker, will be defiant toward the physician.

38:24 The wisdom of the scribe depends on the opportunity for leisure; only the one who has little business can become wise.

39:17 No one can say, 'What is this?' or 'Why is that?' - for at the appointed time all such questions will be answered.

39:33-34 All the works of the Lord are good, and he will supply every need in its time. No one can say, "This is not as good as that," for everything proves good in its appointed time.

In My Residence Hall . . .

In my dorm, Scripture Hall (named after two individuals with that peculiar last name) . . .

There are several areas designated for study. These rooms have tables and chairs, and some of them even have plush armchairs. One of them on the third floor even has a big-screen television. The furniture in these rooms brings to my attention that STUDY LOUNGE is an oxymoron.

In the East Stairwell there lives a cricket. I know this because on occasion I hear it chirp. When I hear this fellow creature rub its fragile legs together, it brings delight to my heart, nearly as well as David's harp did for King Saul. I want all to know that I support the habitation of this cricket in our stair. It's not that I have any moral judgment - negative or positive - about zoos; nor that I wish this cricket would multiply and infest our building. I just enjoy to hear it 'sing' in my building. It's out of place, ironic, humorous and delightful to me. End of story.

I'm at School

Well, friends, I am at school. I still have to completely unpack my boxed belongings, and get my class schedule adjusted, but I am here.

I have already felt better for the past two days than I did for the past three months. So that's an improvement.

I still haven't gotten in touch with all of my friends, but hope to do so by the end of this week.

If I have time this semester in addition to homework, I hope to (perhaps) write on this page about the following subjects:

- Worldviews, the stories we live in to understand our world. I want to reflect on what basic stories I've been told growing up about the world, and how these stories conflict with one another, and how the story I want to believe now conflicts with these.

- I want to write "A Narrative Christian Theology for Everyone." I realize that "for everyone" is a utopian modifier to my title, but I would like to try to write Christian theology that I would want my friends to read, believers and non-believers alike. While I would hope that this would be appropriate for my elders as well, I am unsure as to whether it would be understandable for children. [Maybe Burke and I need to write Childrens' books of narrative Christian theology!]

- On occasion I will try to include my favorite: "Life stories and observations" or "other tales which demand less thought" in addition to my "meditations."

Much love to you all. Peace be with you.