“Common sense is not so common.” Voltaire, 1764.
I had an appointment at Mercy Hospital early this week where I snapped the above photo.
There’s something wrong in the world where this advice even has to be given.
At a large public hospital!
At least part of the problem, I believe, is that we no longer cling to a universally-agreed upon source of wisdom, nor even a reasonable set of expectations for our fellow man.
And we’ve also lost the assumption that if you do something ridiculously stupid and get hurt that it is your own darn fault. Ambulance chasers have taught us to look for someone else to blame.
Once upon a time we expected that every parent was teaching their preschooler to look both ways before they crossed the street. And once upon a time we could trust that your customers were wise enough to test the temperature of their coffee before taking a gulp.
Once upon a time, it was generally understood that reasonable, civilized people would behave in certain ways: Wear a coat in subzero temperatures. Keep their sick child home from school. Avoid using the F word around grandma. You know, the basics.
Once upon a time it was easier to label things and behaviors as wise or foolish.
But we don’t live in those olden days any more. Those olden days where you expected your neighbor to be generally informed and prudent. We now treat everyone like they are idiots, sticking their hands down random toilets.
We’ve simultaneously lost the willingness to label things objectively bad or good and also to trust one another to make the better choice.
This is why I’m so thankful to have the word of God as our source of wisdom which never changes. It doesn’t come in and out of style. It doesn’t shift based on political polling data, societal norms or trends. It doesn’t get in a bad mood and change its opinion on a whim. And it doesn’t get dumber over time.
And the book of Proverbs in particular is full of the kind of common sense our society has lost. It doesn’t shy away from calling some behaviors wise and some foolish. It is full of practical advice on everything relevant right now: finances, sexuality, career, relationships, health, and so much more. God’s wisdom is always timely and helpful and right.
If your Bible reading plan has waned during the summer months, why not pick up the book of Proverbs and see what nuggets of wisdom you can glean? One chapter a day for a month is all it takes to reap a harvest of priceless truth.
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15).
Make good choices!
