Wednesday 25 September 2019

Psalm: Psalm 62

Background

Each morning on my way to work, I pass a whiteboard at my local underground station with words of wisdom or a thought for the day written on it. Sometimes the words are from famous people, sometimes a quote from a book. Sometimes they are funny and sometimes they are deeply profound. They are often so highly topical that I've wondered how the staff at the station have found suitable quotes that quickly. I’ve seen everyone quoted there from the Dalai Lama to Shakespeare to Winnie the Pooh.

Words of wisdom at stations now happens all over the UK and probably elsewhere in the world too but the story of how it started at Oval Station about fifteen years ago and the impact it has had is fascinating. After the quotes started going up, usually stony-faced commuters started talking to each other and engaging with staff over the words each day. People sometimes felt like the quotes were a direct message to them. And sensitive reflections helped bring a sense of unity during difficult events such as terrorist attacks and the Grenfell Tower disaster. The carefully chosen words raised the questions of values and morals, the meaning of life and provided an inspirational boost to the day.

And so it is with the passages from Proverbs that we’ll be looking at over the next few days – words of knowledge and warning, words that challenge behaviour, words learnt from past experience, words that are difficult to read through a 21st-century lens, words that – if we take notice of them – might just make our lives easier.

Today’s reading (and in particular the verses above) are not just sound advice on construction but a blueprint for all aspects of life – family, church, careers. Wisdom can get you a long way but knowledge and understanding are needed. And we would all do well to remember that all good building projects consult with the architect on a regular basis.

To Ponder:

• What words of wisdom have you shared with others?
• Look at verses 11-12. What are the things happening in the world today where people need rescuing? What is our part to play in holding them back?