Resist the Proud

The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

and favour is better than silver or gold.

The rich and the poor have this in common:

the Lord is the maker of them all.

Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity

and the rod of anger will fail.

Those who are generous are blessed,

for they share their bread with the poor.

Do not rob the poor because they are poor,

or crush the afflicted at the gate;

for the Lord pleads their cause

and despoils of life those who despoil them.

I once had a colleague who spoke ill of me to anyone who would listen. Despite my request made directly to that person to stop, it didn’t happen. I care deeply about my “good name” more than great riches. “Favour” is truly better than silver or gold, but I had “none” in that person’s eyes. We were equals, knowing that we were uniquely created by God, the maker of us all; and yet the forces of destruction were at work. Finally, intervention by our commander in chief became necessary.

I have despaired with the news coming out of Kabul and Washington D.C. this past week. Intervention by our current commander in chief is being criticized as well as supported, and analysis will continue for decades. Perspectives swing widely across the political aisles. “Who is to be trusted with the news?” Clearly injustice is reaping calamity on both the rich and the poor. Clearly hundreds if not thousands of people are being “afflicted and crushed at the gates.” The gates of war are like the floodgates of hurricane Ida, wreaking havoc everywhere, on the good and the ill-willed alike.

Today’s prayer encourages us to “resist the proud.” So what kind of pride is to be resisted? The proud trust only in their own strength. They kill the spirit if not the body; they oppress and suppress the life-forces of humanity. The proud never listen to the wisdom or the perspectives of others. Going it alone, they assume they are right when they may be wrong. Closing their ears, they justify their actions. Opening their mouths, they spread ill will.

The author of Proverbs claims that those who “despoil life” will be despoiled. “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of anger will fail.” What’s a person to do in times like these, when we feel powerless, helpless, and vulnerable to forces that are so far beyond our control? “Trust in God and tie your camel to the tree” is ancient desert wisdom. Do some good. Speak kindly. Seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Hopefully, the Lord is “pleading our cause.” And so we labor on.