Monday, July 1, 2013

Reflection | "Wit and Wisdom" | Time After Pentecost

There’s a saying where I come from – “knee high by the fourth of July.’  It means if a field of corn is knee high by Independence Day, the crop is off to a good start.
There are other seasonal bits of wisdom that have become part of our language.  “In like a lion, out like a lamb,” sometimes describes the month of March.  Or how about, “April showers bring May flowers.”  (What do May flowers bring?  Pilgrims, of course). 
This one’s new to me: “A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly.” 
The Old Testament books of Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Proverbs are the Bible’s books of wisdom.  The book of Proverbs contains a number of collections of short sayings that are often true about life.  Here are a few:
“Hatred stirs up disputes, but love covers all offenses” (10:2).
“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by virtuous living” (16:31).
“Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (31:30).
The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters.  You could read one chapter each day during the month of July—read chapter 1 by July 1, chapter 2 by July 2, chapter 3 by July 3, and read chapter 4… “by the Fourth of July.”