“For a fool wisdom is an inaccessible fortress;
at the city gate he does not open his mouth…”
--Proverbs 24:7
Because I was thinking about talking too much in my last
mediation, this verse about the fool not opening his mouth seemed an appropriate
follow-up.
Here is a little vision of my reading process:
When I read this the first time, I thought: the first clause
(before the semi-colon) is perfectly obvious: the “fool” knows of the kingdom
of wisdom but cannot find any way to enter it. The gates are locked, the draw
bridge is pulled up, the walls are too high, and maybe there is a shark
infested moat surrounding it.
But then, there is that part after the semi-colon about being
at the city gate and not opening his mouth. As I read it initially, I thought
it was a sign of the fool’s untapped wisdom:
he doesn’t open his mouth. For a
fool that could be a good thing. He doesn’t have any wisdom to offer, so he
keeps his mouth shut.
I don’t know if my mind was wandering, but I was treating each
part as a separate, almost unrelated, statement. It was as if I had wandered out of the
metaphor the author was creating (a fortress) and into the streets leading up
to a common city where people gathered at the gate to talk and share news and
greet one another—to begin the business of the day. And in my imagination, there was this fool
with his clothed mouth, experiencing the benefits of restraint. No wisdom to
share, nothing to say. Just listening and learning.
But then, realizing that this didn’t seem to make sense, I
looked back and realized that the city gate comes within the context of the metaphor
of the fortress of Wisdom. And then I realized that the reason the fool cannot
access the kingdom is because he will not open his mouth; he won’t ask to be
let in. He’s too foolish to ask for access. It perfectly dramatizes the depths
of his foolishness: this is a person who
doesn’t even know enough to ask for help.
The second part of the statement develops the first. Now, to most people this may seem rather obvious
in itself, but for me (a librarian and writer) it is a lesson I am always
having to relearn.
At moments like this, I wonder if anyone else reads like me;
as carelessly, as foolishly. And I wonder
if my carless reading comes from lack of focus, from being unable to shut down
all those voice in my head and just attend to the moment (the word on the
page). This sounds like an odd struggle
for a writer to have, getting lost midway through a short sentence. I wonder if
it is related to talking too much? To
those voices in my head that are constantly trying to interpret and decipher
and dissect each and every situation, experience as if I were constantly trying
to discover some hidden coded truth, constantly trying to prove myself, to
justify my existence?
And so –I will write one more thought –nay two-- then then
hold my tongue; reading this passage I come away with 2 lessons:
1. There is wisdom to be found in remaining silent, or as
Proverbs says:
If the fool holds his tongue, he may pass for wise. (17:28)
2. And there is wisdom in speaking out. When you are standing
at Wisdom’s gate, don’t be afraid to open your mouth and reveal you are a fool
in need of assistance. It’s the only way
you will be able to ask for help.
3. (okay –one more) And where better might we find the gates
of the Kingdom of Wisdom, than in God’s word. So, when you are reading The
Bible, don’t be a fool, humble your heart, open your mouth and ask for help. In fact, the author is right there standing
at the gate, waiting for you. Just say
the word and He will open the gate and let you in.
