Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. – Proverbs 13:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (October 2, 2019): Proverbs 13

A picture has been making its rounds on Facebook of the former Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, wearing indigenous face paint and headdress. In the wake of the Brown and Black Face scandal surrounding the current Liberal Prime Minister of the country, Justin Trudeau, maybe it isn’t surprising that comparisons are being made. According to the opinions on Social Media, supporters of the Prime Minister are offended by those on the other side of the political spectrum because they condemn Trudeau, and yet say nothing about Harper’s costume.

Actually, maybe that isn’t surprising. It seems to be the nature of contemporary politics that we see the politicians on “our side” in a better light, and that we condemn, without consideration, those on the other side of the issue. We do it in politics, and we do it within the walls of Christianity. If you agree with me, well, you must be a pretty good person. If you don’t, you must be a “liberal.” (Christianese for someone who doesn’t really believe in Jesus.) It isn’t a discussion of the issue that is wanted, just that you would agree with me.

But there is a problem when we condemn. Often, the only person that we condemn is ourselves. As for the Justin Trudeau Brown and Black Face Scandal, there is no doubt that, in my opinion, Trudeau was wrong in his action. There is no excuse for his behavior. My struggle is that he has acknowledged his wrongdoing and has apologized. If we need to have a discussion, and I think that we do, it should be around what that apology means in our culture. A vast majority, including Trudeau, understand the wrongness of the action. Where we disagree is not concerning the sin of Trudeau, but rather with the meaning and effect of the apology. And that is something that can be discussed as intelligent, compassionate, and, especially, imperfect people.

But those who condemn Stephen Harper for his indigenous dress are misinformed. There is no comparison between Harper in Face Paint and Trudeau in Black Face. Trudeau dressed himself up, making the choice to put the costume and make-up on so that he could attend a social event. Harper, on the other hand, had the Face Paint and headdress placed on him by an elder in the Blood Tribe, as the tribe honored him, making Harper an Honorary Chief in the Tribe. And that is a big difference.          

There is an old Arab proverb that says, “Take heed that your tongue does not cut your throat.” When we speak too quickly, and without all of the facts, we are the ones that pay the price. There is another adage that says that God put two gates on our tongues, those gates being our teeth and our lips, as a reminder of the danger that our tongues pose for us. The gates remind us that we need to pause before we speak, or write; that we need to consider what it is that needs to be said. We need to gather our information before we talk.

Some of the politicians that I respect the most, we hear from the least. And I believe that that is because they understand the meaning of Solomon’s proverb. They guard their lips, they consider what it is that needs to be said, and equally important what it is that needs to remain unsaid. They speak only when it is necessary, and on issues that they have carefully considered. Because our tongues stand at the ready to defeat us, and we are the only ones who can stop that destruction.      

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 14