Sermon: “A Good Name,” September 5, 2021

Preacher: The Rev. Ryan Slifka
Scripture: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 (Revised Common Lectionary)

If you've been hanging around for the past few weeks (or tuning in), you'll know that the past few weeks have been heavy with King Solomon. Solomon, one of the most renowned kings in the Bible. Son of the greatest King, David, Solomon's known primarily for his wisdom, his knowledge of the true and the good, and ability to do it. While Solomon's personal record when it comes to knowing the good and doing the good is pretty spotty, he's still known by tradition as the author of several books in the Bible called “wisdom literature.”

Last week we took a look at one of the books, “the Song of Solomon.” The Song being an ancient romantic love. This week we're looking at another—the book of Proverbs. In the words of Monty Python, “now for something completely different.”

Proverbs is different from all the other books in the Bible in that it's basically a long collection of different proverbs. Think of the phrase “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Or “the grass isn't always greener on the other side.” These are proverbs, short, memorable sayings that convey some kind of well-known truth. And whereas other books of the Bible contain proverbs here and there, the Book of Proverbs rolls out sayings like this, one after another, sometimes randomly, all with the purpose of instructing students in  proper behaviour. Behaviour that leads to success, prosperity and virtue, rather than behaviour that leads to failure, hardship and vice.[i] The purpose of the collection is to pass on wisdom to the young as to what a good life looks like.

Today we're looking at chapter 22. Generally, the sayings in Proverbs don't follow much of a pattern. Today's reading kind of loosely knits together sayings when it comes to money, or wealth. The relationship between the rich and poor.

Today’s reading begins with the saying “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favour is better than silver or gold”. The idea here, more or less, is that a good name, meaning a good reputation is worth more than precious metals. To be well-known, to be well-thought-of, beats wealth any day.

On one level, this is a call to personal integrity. To not be driven exclusively by accruing wealth and power, and privilege. Proverbs sort of assumes that wealth is a good thing to go after, and usually a sign of personal righteousness. But wealth can be ruined by arrogance, selfishness, and excessive greed. No doubt most of us, if not all, have some sense that our own society would do well to pay attention to this one.

On the other hand, this Proverb is also good practical advice. Considering that the original audience for the book of Proverbs were members of the royal court, the political elite, this makes a lot of sense. A beloved figure wins the favour of the right people. Money can buy you a lot, but influence buys you a lot more. One wrong greedy step and your political name is toxic, whereas a good name is excellent collateral when one plays the game of politics. It's good practical advice. Maybe even really good common sense.[ii]

It's at this point that we run into some trouble with Proverbs, though. Stuff like this makes good advice, it provides some counsel for shrewd living, but it's not exactly divine revelation. Why record it in a Holy Book, or read it aloud and punctuate it with “hear what the Spirit is saying to the church,” if you could just as easily click a top influencer on YouTube? Or grab a book off the self-help shelf at Chapters that says the same thing?

Well, again, same as last week when we looked at The Song of Solomon with it's love poetry, we're to read it with the whole of the Bible in mind, and especially read it through our Jesus glasses. Because we believe that Jesus reveals to us the character of the Source of all life. Jesus is about as close to God as we're gonna get, and in him we discover the mystery and meaning at the heart of the universe. We believe Jesus show us who God is, and the Bible is the great signpost in this disclosure.

Now, a good a text as any to read this Proverb through is found in chapter two of the Apostle Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. There's a section that's often called the “Christ hymn,” and it's one of the earliest recorded songs we have about Jesus. “Though he was in the form of God,” Paul writes.

“Though he was in the form of God
he did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness,
and being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name that is above every name.”

Now, think back to our Proverb. “A good name,” it says, “is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favour is better than silver or gold.” Well, according to the hymn, this guy Jesus, must have chosen wisely. There ain't no better name than the name of Jesus, whose name is above every name.  

But how did he get this good name?

Was he wealthy? No. He was born in a stable, to a poor family.

Was he famous? He was a nobody from nowhere, who told his closest followers to keep his identity a secret, until after his resurrection.

Did he rub shoulders with the elite, or curry favour with the powerful? No. He fed the hungry, reached out hands of healing to the sick. Was the friend of prostitutes and sinners of all kind.

Was he showered with awards and accolades? No. He was tortured, spat on and shamed. A criminal's death was his reward, hung on a tree between two condemned men.

Jesus has the biggest, bestest name around. But he got it in the way we'd least expect. Rather than a good name won on the world’s terms of wealth, status, and privilege, Jesus’ good name came through downward mobility. He entered into our suffering, our darkness, and our pain, for no other purpose than to raise us from the dead with him. Meaning that true value in life isn't to be found in the heights of worldly success, but in the depth of the world's suffering and pain.

A while back People magazine published a little blurb about a new memoir titled Hello Darkness, My Old Friend.[iii] This memoir tells the story of Sanford “Sandy” Greenberg, a well-known American lawyer, philanthropist and inventor. Greenberg obtained degrees from Columbia business school, Harvard Law School, and a PhD at Oxford. He became a pioneer in speech-recognition technology and electronic data processing  and became quite wealthy in the process. A trusted advisor to American governments, who used his technology in the onboard computer for Apollo 11’s lunar lander. He’s one notable dude. So notable that the forward to the book was written by Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the afterward by Margaret Atwood. And the truly extraordinary part of his story is that Greenberg accomplished all of this after being rendered completely blind at age 19 thanks to a misdiagnosed glaucoma. Talk about notable.

Now, in spite of all of this success and overcoming, though, Greenberg sees none of it as the defining moment of his life. You may have noticed the title of his memoir is Hello Darkness, My Old Friend. If you’re a fan of 60’s folk rock like I am, you’ll know that this is a reference to the great duo Simon and Garfunkel’s 1968 hit “The Sound of Silence.” This is because Greenberg attributes his success, more or less, to Art Garfunkel, the Garfunkel in Simon & Garfunkel.

The two of them were roommates in college, even before he went blind. And when Greenberg was recovering from unsuccessful surgery meant to restore his sight. Greenberg lay about in his parent’s home in darkness, despairing. Believing he’d never make anything of himself, let alone finish college. Garfunkel, though, visited his friend, promising to help him make it through.

When Greenberg made it back to campus, Garfunkel rearranged his entire life around him. While most of his other friends drifted away, seeing him as not worth the hassle and effort, Garfunkel made sure that everything in their dorm room was kept exactly how Greenberg memorized it. He read all of this friend’s coursework to him, read all of his textbooks aloud. He walked him to and from class, fixed his tape recorder, and bandaged him up when he banged into things. Garfunkel would even refer to himself as “Darkness,” a way to enter into his friend’s sightless world. Hence “hello darkness, my old friend.” “He divorced himself from the life he’d been living,” Greenberg said. “He divorced himself from the life he’d been living, altering his own ways to conform better to mine.” Not only did this help him finish college, and save his career, Greenberg said, but Garfunkel’s single-minded devotion to his friend, saved his spirit. It rescued his soul from despair. “It lifted me out of the grave,” he said.

Art Garfunkel made it to the absolute heights of celebrity. Huge crowds, fans, international notoriety. Money, fame and fortune. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with a permanent entry in the Encyclopedia of Pop Music.

According to this Proverb, though, none of these achievements mean anything compared to the time where he dropped everything, and completely realigned his life to be the eyes of Sandy Greenberg. His slow, patient, self-giving love for his friend in his time of need. I mean, I absolutely love his music, it stirs the depths of my soul. I would never discount that. But—at least according to this Proverb, the good name he took on--”Darkness”--is worth more than the silver and gold and notoriety he knew as Art Garfunkel. In entering into the shame, suffering, and despair of his friend, God used Art Garfunkel to raise his son from the dead. Jesus’ good name is all over this thing. Here Garfunkel was an icon of Christ, a physical representation of the living God in a way that none his other accomplishments or achievements ever could be. Because the greatest platinum selling record in the world is nothing compared to even a single moment of grace.

Now, what does this all mean for you and I?

Well, the bad news is that it means that most of the things we spend our time striving for—wealth, status, notoriety, greatness, the things our culture values. The things we place the most importance on in life are absolutely secondary at best. They will never provide the lasting joy and meaning they promise. It'll all blow away on day with the sands of time.

The good news is, though, is that it means the true joy we want, the fullness of life we desire is right at our fingertips, accessible to all, in the good name of Jesus Christ. Our good name is to be found in his. In the same way he laid down his life for our sake, we're given the grace to lay down our own in Garfunkelian fashion, for the sake of a world that simply can not see the truth. In forsaking silver and gold here on earth, God is storing up treasures in heaven that will last forever.

So if you want a good name, and a good life worth more than all the Bitcoin in creation. Look to Jesus, whose name is above every other name. Look to him, and live.

AMEN.

[i] Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, 890.

[ii] Raymond C. Van Leeuwen, “Proverbs,” in The Abingdon Bible Commentary, ed. Leander Keck (Nashville: Abingdon, 1997), 197.

[iii] Sandra Westfall, “Inside Art Garfunkel's Bond with Blind College Roommate Who Says His Care Was 'End of Hopelessness,', People, July 15, 2020.