Dear Solomon

Dear Solomon,

Something that's been traveling through my head lately is this idea you wrote about that we're to be "slow to anger", and "quick to forgive". It seems in this day and age(and well, likely back in your time too, hence you wrote about it), we bypass this. And I just don't get it. It seems like such a simple task. And yet it seems super important too. You repeat it many times throughout the Bible, as well of some of your fellow co-authors. Here's a couple verses(I used the ESV. Never used it before but I thought it had the best collective wording):


Proverbs 14:29
"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly."

Proverbs 19:11
"Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense."

Ecclesiastes 7:9
"Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools."

James 1:19
"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;"

Proverbs 16:32
"Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city."


I mean it seems pretty straightforward, am I right? There's nothing too crazy about it. There's no seven unclean animals, four goats, three birds, or anything to sacrifice. Just. Be slow to anger, and quick to give grace. Then why is it so hard for us to do?

I know I'm often more guilty of this than others. I guess I've got what you may call a temper. For example, when I was younger, not a day went by(that's not exactly literal mind you, but over-exaggeration is the rage these days) that I wasn't yelling at my brother and sister for something they did to me. It was always something stupid, yet I felt like yelling was the only way to solve it.

Why? I don't know. Maybe it was my juvenile mind. But then why does it still go on today; with me; with everyone? Elders, peers, everybody. I mean, I know we're not perfect. But lately, it just doesn't seem like we're trying. It seems like we should be able to do this better. Obviously not perfectly. But haven't we heard of giving people a break? I don't know. It's something I'm working on at least. Which is hard, because I'm big on sarcasm. Like, fluent.

Bro(I hope bro is okay, I know you're a king and all, but I'm gonna level with you here), I know you weren't perfect. You had that great wisdom thing, and you were so close to God, and yet you still ended up screwing over 1000 different women. What's up with that?(not exactly the point, but I'm getting there) But I gotta believe that, since you struggled so hard to get this message through at least three different times, that you knew your stuff, if not just a little bit. Is it possible to live it? I'd like to think so anyway. I'll work on it.

Yours in Christ,
Mikey