Too many voices; not enough wise counsel
“Woe be to fearful hearts, and faint hands, and the sinner that goeth two ways! Woe unto him that is fainthearted! for he believeth not; therefore shall he not be defended. Woe unto you that have lost patience! and what will ye do when the Lord shall visit you?” (Sirach 2:12-14 )
I am not sure why Sirach did not make it into the canon we now refer to as ‘the Hoy Bible” and scripture. It is not as if what we now call scripture and the passage from Sirach are in opposition or contradict one another; they are are calling us to listen to two masters. I do not know the history of the book the Anabaptists used that is the name and citation for this passage, Sirach. And I have no reason to go looking for it because of this citation or this commentary. The point I want to make is that we can listen and heed two voices without being in fear that we are listening to or serving two masters.
I had an interesting experience related to this yesterday. I was talking to a co-worker about one of my clients and trying to figure out the best way to serve this client’s needs. There had been an unpleasant meeting with this particular client and a case worker at another agency which had been prompted by a report given by my supervisor, and I was having to deal with the fallout from this also. My co-worker suggested, using the context of this passage, that I needed to help my client find the best way to solve the problems in this client’s life. My client was being told not to trust him/herself, but to re-arrange his/her life according to the other agency’s agenda. My co-worker was saying that I needed to take control of this situation. My co-worker was not saying that I had fearful heart and the faint hands, but because of someone else’s interference, my client was suffering. My co-worker supported me dealing directly with my client and not letting others’ voices be the ones that told my client what should and should not happen. In essence, my client should not have to satisfy contradictory case managers, but just one; me!
This is the message of this passage; not just Sirach, but other passages that we will be reading in the days to come. We need to discern the best thing to do, and then do it following the wise counsel of the Divine wherever we hear it or read it.
May you be brave of heart and sturdy of hand to follow the one way that is Christ our Lord. May you believe with unshakable faith and be defended by our mighty God who visits you daily bringing joy and delight so that you are strong in your faith. Selah!
