Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Allison.

Today's scripture offers us a wiser way of being human as we step into the day.

Today's passage is short and sweet, but really it's more short and blunt.

It's also strangely comforting because it names something so many of us struggle with.

How do I respond to someone who is unreasonable, reactive, or committed to misunderstanding me?

Today's reading comes from Proverbs 26, 4 through 5.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.

Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly,

or he will be wise in his own eyes. This is confusing. I had to read it again a couple of times.

There are two proverbs back to back that seem to directly contradict each other, but this is the

beauty of wisdom literature. Wisdom literature is such an interesting part of scripture.

It's not giving us a prescription or formula.

It's not a one-size-fits-all command.

It's teaching us something deeper.

Discernment.

In other words, Proverbs is less interested in handing us a script

and more interested in shaping us into a person

who can see clearly, who can

be wise in a lot of different situations. So let's unpack what these verses are naming.

There are two dangers when you're dealing with foolishness. And when we're talking about foolishness,

we mean behavior that is reactive, irrational, arrogant, baiting, manipulative, or contemptuous.

The kind of behavior that doesn't actually want understanding, because it's not playing by

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