The Original 6 7

​As with most cultural movements, I am totally lost with this whole 6 7 thing. At least the current teenage/TikTok version of it.

However, there's a much older version of it - about 3000 years old - that I think is pretty relevant today.

Solomon, arguably one of the wisest men to ever live, once wrote in the book of Proverbs:

"There are SIX things the Lord hates, SEVEN that are detestable to him."

Ok.

Wait?

I don't get it.. Is it six or seven, Solomon?

Turns out this whole 6 7 thing was a common Hebrew literary device, deliberate artistry if you will, that says what is about to follow is pretty important. Let me suck you in with a little holy number magic.

So now that you have our attention Solomon, what are the 7 (not six) things that God hates?

God hates:

Prideful eyes: looking down on others; thinking you’re better than people.

A lying tongue: twisting the truth to protect yourself or hurt someone else.

Hands that shed innocent blood: hurting or destroying people who’ve done nothing wrong.

A heart that plots evil: making plans to take advantage of or harm others.

Feet quick to run to do wrong: being eager or impulsive about doing the wrong thing.

A false witness who tells lies: spreading lies that harm someone’s reputation.

A person who stirs up conflict: creating drama, division, or chaos among people who should be united.

So why am I sharing this today?

Well, I guess because it's election day. And campaigning and voting has turned into such a hateful process. Many of us will go out to vote against policies, ideals, and yes - whether it's admitted or not - even people we hate.

I think if we're not careful, we can begin to take up a fight against what we hate out there, and not spend enough time asking ourselves what God might hate about what's going on in here.

In me.

Because when I look at that list of 7 (not six), I mean REALLY look at that list, I'm left considering that I might have too much work to do addressing the things God hates in me to get too caught up in fighting all the things I hate about the world.

That's not to say I can't, shouldn't or won't vote. It's to say don't let voting become a distraction.

The world has a lot to figure out, for sure.

But 6 7 tells me, so do I.