Down the Proverbial Rabbit Hole

A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, August 31st, 2025:
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Sirach
3.17-20, 28-29

​My child, perform your tasks with humility; then you will be loved by those whom God accepts. The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so you will find favour in the sight of the Lord. Many are lofty and renowned, but to the humble the Lord reveals his secrets. For great is the might of the Lord; but by the humble he is glorified.

When calamity befalls someone proud, there is no healing, for an evil plant has taken root in them.

The mind of the intelligent appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the desire of the wise.

​Pause. Pray. Reflect.

When I was fresh out of university, I had the opportunity to travel to Ghana for a six-month internship with a non-governmental organization. I was part of a group of interns destined to various countries around the world, and our coordinating organization provided preparation sessions in the weeks before we traveled.

We were excited but nervous. I had never been to an African country before, and I was most concerned about showing their culture the utmost respect. I packed clothes so modest I was eventually teased about it by locals. I really wanted a sense of the culture, the people, before I left.

During one of our preparation sessions, the trainer suggested that one of the best ways to research a culture is to learn their proverbs. What a great idea! What do children have drilled into them from the moment they’re born? What does grandma always say? What are the little adages that are never far from the back of their minds?

If we turn the proverbial mirror on our North American culture, you can see what others would learn about us. We’re worm-munching early birds who slowly and steadily win races. If we don’t succeed, we try, try again and practise until we’re perfect. In other words, we’re productivity-obsessed perfectionists who value work ethic and tenacity.

If you spend some time looking up proverbs from around the world, the best of humanity emerges. Every culture, with varying emphases, uphold family, friendship, honesty, service, hospitality, humility, hard work, loyalty, and minding your own darn beeswax. 

Of course, in the day-to-day experience of living with another culture, proverbs become an unconscious background to real human interactions and lived traditions. In Ghana, I didn’t need a proverb to tell me that they valued hospitality, generosity, respect, kindness, family, honour, and peace. They showed that to me every day in gestures large and small.

Most of the folk wisdom I heard was from the mouths of children (so who knows how accurate it was), clearly taught by their parents to keep them out of mischief. Don’t play on termite hills or you’ll be turned into a yam. Don’t pick up objects in the street that don’t belong to you or it (or possibly you?) will turn into a yam. Turning into a yam seemed to be the worst possible fate of a naughty child.

One time, a local shared this well-used saying: “Communication is like rabbits.” Apparently, there’s more to that proverb, but everyone says only the first part because the second part is implied. I think about that phrase to this day, and I think I decide on a different meaning each time.

This passage from Sirach tells us that an intelligent mind appreciates a proverb; heeding wisdom from others and our forebears will enlighten and protect our souls. I believe that the empathetic heart seeks a proverb, to learn from another about what matters most to them and how best we can show them God’s love.


Kate Plumb

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