“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in uncovering his heart.”

~Proverbs 18.2

You hear or read a few trigger words and phrases. You are on high alert concerning the issue du jour, prepared for war, and ready to meme people into submission. These triggers are all you need, and off you go, splashing your characterizations of a man’s statement and his character on social media. You are a keyboard warrior, living most of the time before a computer screen with limited face-to-face interaction. You have read books, and your opinions have been validated within the digital echo chamber of your social media friends hundreds of times. “Attaboys,” likes, and shares abound. You are moving the needle; you may even go down in history right there with Martin Luther … or Mao.

There is one problem. You didn’t listen to what the man said and have learned nothing of his character. Your opinions were like an aggressive, vicious dog on a weak leash, which at the first sign of any movement went on the attack. You don’t care about sincerely understanding another person and his position. You only care that people know that you are the smartest, edgiest, wittiest guy on the internet. The fact that you are engaged in character assassination is a small price to pay for your five minutes of fame.

This is the activity of a fool.

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It is difficult to watch. You want to say something, to do something, something that will change the situation. You know that if things continue as they are going, the end will be disaster. But he won’t listen. She’s got this. So they think. They are taking the path of a fool. What do you say to them?

Solomon was aware that in a world of sin in which we are called to bring order that one of our greatest challenges would be dealing with fools. A fool is not merely a superficial, immature buffoon. He may be a cultural icon, a respected businessman, or a leader in society. The Proverbial fool is the man whose heart and life are disordered according to the standard of God’s created purpose. He is in rebellion against God. Fools come in all shapes and sizes, falling on a spectrum of foolishness. He may be the child whose foolishness is present but still has the opportunity to be cut off through discipline (Pr 22.15), or he may be the belligerent, hardened fool whose foolishness has matured to the point that he holds God and everything that is wise in contempt. The wise must learn to identify and deal with all types of fools.

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All of his spirit goes out of a fool, but the wise stills it.

~Proverbs 29.11

No one likes a fake. When people come across as disingenuous, it is off-putting. Consequently, in our broader society and church, high value is placed on authenticity that is expressed in transparency. There is, of course, a need for authenticity. The Scriptures speak of this as faithfulness. But, as one of my seminary professors used to quip, “The devil’s favorite trick is to take a good thing too far.”

Authenticity and transparency have come to mean self-expression in any way you deem fit. If you are truly authentic, you will say all that you are thinking or feeling to the guy standing in front of you or to thousands, potentially millions, of people on social media. You should be able to speak with words, clothing (or lack thereof), hairstyles, piercings, or in any other way to tell everyone of your psychological brokenness, your rebellion against the oppressive powers that be, the goings on of what used to be called a private life, or any number of improprieties. Restraint is inauthentic. It is a lie of the highest order because psychological nudity is the highest good. Restraint from self-exposure is the great sin. “I’m just being real.”

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