Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him – Proverbs 29:20
“I’m going to clobber the next aunt I see!” This is what Ralphie, home from school due to a flu bug, had heard his mother yell. Though given strict instructions to rest, Ralphie felt it necessary to warn his favorite relative. “Hello, Aunt Judy,” Ralphie whispered. “Mommies on the warpath. So, you may want to stay away until she cools down. Yeah, I think it’s alright if the guy from Uncle Brian’s exterminating business comes by about the ants. Yep, I’m feeling much better. Nope, I haven’t experienced a single side-effect from the cold medicine.”
While humorous, Ralphie’s obvious confusion—a side effect of the cold medicine—offers an important reminder about jumping to conclusions. Unlike typical April Fools’ Day pranks, reacting based on preconceived notions can impair relationships and impede valuable connections
Though not required to possess the stoic disposition of Detective Sergeant Joe Friday from the series Dragnet, famous for: “Just the facts, ma’am,” we are expected to exercise wisdom. If the Bible warns against being hasty—jumping—then it should not be foolishly ignored.