For the next several days the scripture readings will be taken from what, in the Christian tradition, we call the Wisdom Literature. In the Hebrew Bible these books are simply called “the writings.” The first selections are from the Book of Proverbs, a collection of sayings on how to live a godly life. Many cultures have similar collections — not only in Egypt and the Babylon but even in Poor Richard’s Almanac. As a collection this is not the kind of book to read straight through. Instead, when you come to something that bites you stop and pray about that. For me, today I was struck by: He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard.