In a recent sermon by Dr. Charles Stanley he said something that piqued my spiritual curiosity. He said that when we call someone a fool it is an expression of our anger. I had never connected the two. In research, I found that scripture speaks about fools and foolish behavior from many different angles, but in Matt 5:20-23, Jesus says;
“For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven.
You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You shall not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you, anyone who is angry with a brother will answer for it before the court; anyone who calls a brother “Fool” will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls him “Traitor” will answer for it in hell fire.”
The overall context of this scripture is about the sin of holding anger against another person. What hooked my attention is that for some reason that I had yet figured, the word “cluck” had insidiously entered my vocabulary. My subconscious swapped the word “cluck” to describe people whom I judge as “fool.” And, if I apply creative liberty to Shakespeare;
What’s in a name? that who we call a “fool”
By any other name would smell as sour;
Cluck and fool mean the same. I say insidious because to call someone a fool comes across as too arrogant and prideful especially since I claim my worst sins in life as “foolish mistakes.” Foolish mistakes (rather than sins) suggest that there is something to be learned and not repeated and believe I have come that far. So to outright judge and label someone as a fool is to be forgetful of my own history. But calling someone a “cluck” (for me) was OK and rather humorous thereby slipping by my moral sensibilities. Until now.
The root of calling someone a fool to be anger caused me to introspect. I do not think of myself as an angry person in fact I consider myself awfully tolerant of my own mistakes and that of others. But I am highly critical when I experience false words and actions in others. I am acutely sensitive to this in myself and I am sure this internal struggle shows itself through external actions and relationships with others. Even if I cannot easily recognize it.
Thomas Merton in his book “The Ascent To Truth,” goes on to say that, the success or failure of a man’s spiritual life depends on the clarity with which he is able to see and judge the motives of his moral acts. To use a term canonized by ascetic tradition, the first step to sanctity is self knowledge.
I consider my curiosity of things to be my greatest personal strength. I am always drive to ask or understand the “Why?” of things. It keeps me exploring, developing, and learning. I have been told that I go more deeply in thought than the average person. At the same time, I also think too highly of my intellect. Broad knowledge and deep thinking is certainly good but it is also a pitfall in nurturing a “pride of intellect” to which I must confront. Thomas Merton has characterized this sin, as the sin of …being a “Pharisee of Knowledge.” I get this.
To keep all this in perspective, I do believe there is a ying/yang aspect to our personality. Our personal strengths and weaknesses are intertwined and do not exist without the other. One seems to motivate the other. This is a gift and I try to be accepting of it.
On another point, Merton states that the greatest problem (in the spiritual life) is not in being able to identify the obvious evil mistakes (sins) in our life’s actions. Mine come readily and fortunately I have passed through Reconciliation and able to release their stranglehold of guilt and shame from my life. But to identify and unmask any of the “little” things that appear justified as good, that which Merton calls “disordered impulses” that seem at first to be spiritual and aimed at the highest good, but are at its root sinful – is never easy.
To consider spiritual areas of desired growth in my personhood, I only have to identify what I believe to be the strength of my person and ask; “What drives my desire for the good of knowledge and new experience?” A truthful response will expose its underbelly. And, this is a fertile ground for growth in the spiritual life.
So when I consider someone a ‘cluck” it may seem like a small, insignificant, and humorous act (to me) but it is not. It is rooted in my own harsh act of judging myself and others.
If I am truly desiring acceptance of God’s Will for my life, I am to imitate “Abba (who is) is a life giver, …never a destroyer.”
The featured image of a true “cluck” was done at a recent watercolor workshop.
Great piece
Great. Made me think about myself