Urban Thought Collective

Proverbs 18:7 ~ A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

With friends like O.J., who needs enemies? Was I the only one or did you chuckle too, when the Heisman Trophy Honoree O.J. Simpson at his lowest point said the words: “I thought I was confronting friends” in an attempt to explain his criminal actions during his sentence hearing last week.

For real O.J., you were going to see friends with a gun and back-up?

Note to Friends: Friends don’t confront friends with guns!!

The other classic quote of the day was “I didn’t know I did anything Illegal!”

I don’t take any joy in seeing his demise. As a black woman it’s disturbing to see another brother go to jail. At 61 he should be enjoying his grandchildren, golfing with his retirement pals and traveling the world; not starting a 15-year prison sentence.

I’m not so convinced the Judge and others didn’t also see this case as an opportunity to finish what didn’t happen 13 years ago. Judge Glass went out of her way to make it clear she was in no way motivated by the old case against O.J., and while some may want to point fingers at a systematic plot against the black man…the truth is, this time, O.J.’s foolishness was the real problem!

I found myself yelling at the TV, “OJ please shut up, you’re not helping!” In that moment I heard the words of Run-DMC flow through my mind: “You talk too much, you never shut up, I said you talk too much, Homeboy you never shut up!” LOL…

Beyond the counts against him, I believe O.J. also helped to talk himself right into prison and further stacked the deck against himself by insulting the intelligence and career of his judge. She was quite annoyed that he attempted to get on her level with a conversation about legality.

Have you ever said anything so foolish that as you heard the words coming out of your mouth, you wished to God you could quickly pull them back in? I know I have. I have even tried to pretend I didn’t say what others just heard me say, because it was so foolish. Sometimes the foolishness of the mouth can talk us right into more trouble than we can afford.

The above proverb couldn’t be more applicable than it is to this situation. Actually the entire book of Proverbs is a great read, offering simple wisdom for just about every issue under the sun. The proverbial writings offer clear warning for its reader that foolishness can and will lead to ones destruction and demise. Just ask O.J.!

Unfortunately, Mr. Simpson has plenty of time now on his agenda to deal with the foolishness within. For me, I’ll be working on my own mouth and tongue, doing my best NOT to talk myself into any additional trouble. Here’s another Proverb: Silence is Golden!

Najuma Smith is a preacher, world traveler, writer, and proud parent. She currently serves as the full-time Sr. Pastor of St. James AME Church in Los Angeles. Unapologetically saved and full of purpose, she enjoys sharing words of encouragement with anyone who will listen, bringing a fresh look at life in light of the Word of God. Her collection of motivations and observations are exclusive to Urban Thought Collective. Visit her at www.myspace.com/revjuju.