Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
June 18, 2012

“Stirring the Pot”
“…who plots evil with deceit in his heart— he always stirs up conflict.” – Proverbs 6:14 (NIV)

Many of us have heard the phrase, “stirring the pot.” The origins of the phrase go back several centuries to England during a time when they were at war with France. It was said that a member of Parliament, when asked about rumors of renewing conflicts with the French simply replied, “I would rather people would simply allow conflicts of this nature to lay still rather than stirring the pot and bringing up to the surface.” Typically, when we hear this we know it has nothing to do with food per se, but with bringing up issues from the past that are better left in the past but for some reason or another, one person or the other cannot seem to let go. The following is a very good “definition” if you would like to call it that.

"Picture a pot of soup. A lot of ingredients have settled to the bottom, out of sight, until stirred. Metaphorically, a lot of issues/resentments/obligations can drop out of sight when nobody mentions them. One can "stir the pot" to bring issues to the surface, sometimes merely to create awareness and effect change. Deliberately provocative, yes, but not necessarily maliciously."

From what I gather from Solomon, especially throughout this entire passage—is to show caution when it comes to having much to do with individuals who do nothing but create trouble and live their lives in that fashion. There is also a danger in ourselves that we often face. Consider the following story that puts this into perspective: Eric Zorn writes in the Chicago Tribune of a tragic accident that shows the terrible power of anger and conflict. According to Zorn, a man and woman were driving a van in the far left lane of Chicago’s Northwest Tollway in April 1998. In back were their two children. A white Cadillac driven by an ex-convict suddenly pulled up behind them, tailgating mere inches from their bumper. The man driving the van slowed down. The Cadillac driver pulled into the right lane, passed the van, and then swerved suddenly back in front of the van, so suddenly that the van driver felt he had to swerve to avoid a collision. The white Cadillac sped away. The van driver accelerated and gave chase. He eventually pulled alongside the Cadillac and reportedly began yelling and screaming. According to witnesses, the two men gestured angrily at each other. The driver of the Cadillac then pulled a handgun and fired at the van. The bullet entered the side of the van and hit the baby girl, entering under her left ear and exiting above her right ear. The little girl lived, but she is blind in one eye, half-blind in the other, partially deaf, and suffers from constant headaches and other physical disabilities. The man who fired the bullet is in jail, and the father of the little girl must now live in a jail of constant regret for allowing his anger to get the best of him. Some conflict needs response. But there are times when things need to stay at the bottom of the pot and remain there in the best interest of everyone involved.
Pastor J. T. Carnell