…what the wise have declared, hiding nothing received from their ancestors…– Job 15:18

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 1, 2015): Job 15

Common sense isn’t all that common. But at least one psychologist argues that it is not common, and it may not be sense either. Dr. Jim Taylor (University of San Francisco and author of “The Power of Prime”) argues that it is not “common.” If it was, then the lives that we live would be vastly different than they are. If there was such a thing as common sense, then we would be living vastly healthier lives, in almost every area of our lives. We would eat better, we wouldn’t spend money that we don’t have, we wouldn’t eat junk food and we wouldn’t smoke. Taylor also comments that if politicians possessed any modicum of common sense, then they would not take pictures of their private parts and send them out to complete strangers. Sense isn’t common. What seems to be very common is stupidity.

But Taylor argues that it may not be “sense” either. The idea is that common sense is just some kind of innate understanding, maybe an understanding that is gained through experience. But experience seldom gives us enough information to allow us to possess understanding – it needs something more, like a mind that is actively engaged and learning. And I believe that sometimes common sense is often also referred to by another name – tradition. Taylor openly wonders if the idea of common sense hasn’t been served up for us by a societal structure that really wants to keep us uninformed – a society that desires to keep stupidity what is common.

Once again Job’s friends make an appeal to the wise and to their ancestors, essentially it is an appeal to tradition and to common sense. The “Eliphaz method” of using common sense and tradition as a sledge hammer has a long history. And when this method is used, there just is no way to reply. The problem with this method (and it is a very similar method of just saying “God told me so”) is that it stops all discussion. What you are basically saying is that if you don’t believe me, then you must be the stupid one.

But tradition and common sense are often used just hide a lie. There is no doubt that Job’s friends, who are basing their ideas on these two sledgehammers are wrong in the eyes of God. Interestingly, the enemies of God have made a lot of use of tradition and common sense, including the Pharisees in their teachings against Jesus.

So maybe it is okay that common sense isn’t all that common. It just wasn’t helping us anyway.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Job 16