Proverbs 26 is rich with quotable verses. I chose two to discuss this 26th day of August, but I encourage you to treat yourself to the entire chapter.
Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
an undeserved curse goes nowhere. (Prov 26:2, NRSV)
I find this verse especially reassuring. I believe very strongly in the power of the word. Creation begins with a word—the creation of anything. Words can bless and words can curse. We can use our creative talents for good, and we can use them for evil.
What reassures me in this verse is that, as powerful as words can be, they still cannot violate universal laws and universal truths. A curse that is deserved is very effective. In fact, it is usually redundant, as the object of the curse no doubt has already begun to experience the negative results of his or her wrongs. But an undeserved curse serves only to reflect negatively on the person doing the cursing.
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling. (Prov 26:27, NRSV)
Occasionally I receive criticism from my fellow Christians, objecting to my more universal tendencies. They are quick to quote Bible and verse to me, all the while ignoring what their own eyes see and their own ears hear around them. If this verse in the Judeo-Christian Psalter is not a perfect description of the Buddhist concept of karma, I don’t know what is.
Christianity works for me. But the more I learn about my own faith, the more I appreciate other faiths, and the more similarities I see among all the world’s great religions. Universal truths are universal, not the property of any one faction. Whether I read them in the Bible or I experience them in my day-to-day life, I appreciate the interconnectedness of all life.
Care to share your thoughts with your fellow readers?
