“He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.” ( Proverbs 11:29.)

       Inherit the Wind is a play written by Joseph Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. It is set in a small southern town with a strong Christian base. The main issues in this story occur when the local high school biology teacher doesn't just teach the creationism view of how we came to be but uses Charles Darwin's Origin of Species . You may be asking yourself now, how this relates to the verse.  In the story the religious leader of the town has a daughter and is a single parent. His daughter, Rachel, has fallen in love with Bert Cates, the biology teacher. The Reverend Brown curses his daughter and damns her to hell along with Cates. He causes trouble in his own house and although he may win the case against Cates, he has forever lost his daughter. In losing his daughter he will inherit the wind, or in other words, nothing. In the end Cates is fined one hundred dollars for disobeying the law, instead of the recommended punishment of death.  

       This time of year we often think about other people and those that are less fortunate. We don't often think of people being less fortunate when they appear to have everything. However appearances can be deceiving.  The family with the nicest cars could be plagued with unrest. The talented athlete could have mental issues, tearing apart their family. It is nice to remember those that are less fortunate but we also must take the time to reflect on our lives and our families. We must remember that if we cause trouble in our own houses we will inherit nothing. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  (Matthew 5:3-12)

Lindsay Bower