Let us start with a story. There were two friends in a forest, a donkey and a horse. While they were grazing in fresh green grass, suddenly the donkey asked the horse; ‘What is the color of this grass”? Horse had no doubt. He said it is green. But the donkey said it was red! Horse was taken aback by this stupid statement and he tried his level best to convince his friend. The color of grass is green and not red. But as a donkey, he was stubborn and was never willing to accept the truth.
While the quarrel was going on, they saw the lion king approaching them. With the desire to get a good arbitration in their seemingly unsolvable dispute, they requested the lion to decide the case and pronounce the judgment. After hearing both parties the lion called the horse and awarded him the punishment of ten slaps. The horse was surprised again. Why should he, who was always right be punished and the donkey who gave the wrong answer and stubbornly stuck to it be spared? He asked the lion king the logic of punishing him and not the donkey. To this the lion replied; “You are punished not because your answer was wrong but because you responded to a stupid argument. It is not expected from an intelligent animal like you”.
Here ends the story but the moral continues. Wise people never get into unnecessary arguments. Now look back and count the number of times we spent our time and energy in unnecessary and unwarranted discussions thereby bringing to our status as intelligent men. We know from the very beginning that certain issues are so profane to the core that a believer should never go near it. Some other issues are intended to trap us in useless discussions and arguments. There are also issues so silly in nature that even nursery children will avoid them. But we find time to read them, study them and respond to them; all in vain!
Paul has warned us sufficiently in advance about the risks of engaging in unwarranted issues, because he was wise enough to know its consequences. ‘Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith’ (1 Tim 6:20-21). God does not want us to miss the mark as regards our faith. Jesus himself was candid in saying that we will be held accountable for each and every word that comes out of our mouth. ‘I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned’ (Mt 12:36).
We are blessed with grace not to waste it in unnecessary discussions and quarrels. God might, in his infinite mercy forgive those who in their ignorance drag us into talks and discussions that do not fit our status as heirs of the Lord’s promise. But remember that the Lord’s yardstick for us will be different.
Let us spend the days of this lent in a spirit of silence. Take a vow that we will not respond to anything that would harm us spiritually. Incessant debates, discussions, and arguments about trivial matters are reserved for those who are not fortunate to have this knowledge. Let us take a pledge to use words only when they are absolutely necessary, and to ensure that the words that we use will not deprive us of our Gods’ pleasure.
