Proverbs 6

A fair warning from here - cataloging the Proverbs from here on out will get very difficult. This is the most disorganized book in the entire Bible (and there is good reason for that- the Proverbs aren't meant to tell one story). The chapters will jump around from topic to topic so fast that it could give you vertigo. So from here on out to the end of Proverbs, I will be adopting a new (and hopefully more inclusive) style of writing. I will simply reflect on one segment of the Proverbs, and I hope that you will use the comment section to talk about your favorite (or most confusing) segment of Proverbs. That way, we can hopefully have a good conversation about the Proverbs.

Now, onto Proverbs 6. Being a huge fan of the James Bond series, I can't pull away from any section that outlines the "perfect" villain (Proverbs 6:12-19). And of course, this villain is pretty bad. Always scheming, stirring up dissension, lying, shedding innocent blood, this guy (or gal) is bad! Actually, it reminds me somewhat of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the chief villain of the James Bond series (until his tragic fate in behind-the-scenes legal battles that keeps him from being used again). But this villain is altogether real- and is inside each and every one of us. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a story that points to the reality that we can do what we can to hide it, but each of us has a level of darkness within us. The greatest villains in human history are still humans beings, people like us.

A problem is that we are quick to dehumanize our human brothers and sisters who remind us of our own darkness. "That's not a person, it's a monster." Or we dehumanize by taking human responsibility out. "That person is just a product of a system." Products are not people. Or we take the opposite extreme and force a person to own the entire blame of their actions and do not hold the system responsible at all. It's a dangerous game we play. People do horrible things. And certainly, part of emotional maturity is owning our responsibility in the things we do. And also, we need a hard look at the systems that may have fostered or encouraged these traits. Too often, people want to over-play the system or over-play the individual or just excise the villain from the human race. But those are defense mechanisms for ourselves which alleviate our guilt but do not seek Wisdom. May we continue to seek her in our lives.