Listening To Our Sister

A YOUNG WOMAN WAS MURDERED over too much mayonnaise on a sandwich.

That sentence should stop us cold.

It happened in the “city too busy to hate”—the city where I first drew breath.

An argument flared, anger rose, and before anyone had time to think, a life was gone over something that could have been wiped away with a napkin.

She had a name. She had people who loved her. Someone somewhere still expects to hear her voice again.

And yet her life ended over something so small. We shook our heads when we heard the story.

How could something so trivial become something so terrible?

Yet we live in a world where anger often speaks faster than wisdom. Voices shout, tempers ignite, and the loudest emotions seize the moment before calmer thoughts have time to arrive.

But there is another voice still speaking.

It does not shout. It does not threaten. It does not demand attention.

Still, it speaks with authority.

Scripture calls her Wisdom—our sister—standing in the streets and calling to those who will listen. She invites us to turn away from foolishness and walk instead along the path that leads to life.

If only we would pause long enough to listen to our sister.

Wisdom would have us linger over that tragedy a little longer—not out of morbid curiosity, but to ask a simple question.

Why not remove the extra mayonnaise,

Or kindly ask for another sandwich,

Or offer patience to someone who may have been new at the job?

Why not choose kindness?

Why not choose restraint?

Why not choose forgiveness?

In moments like these, Wisdom is still calling—if only we will listen to our sister.

There is never a good reason to destroy a life. Never.

The One who breathed life into every human soul reminds us: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)

Every person carries the breath of God within them. Every life is precious because of the One who gave it.

Life is always the wiser choice than death.

It seems such a simple truth—yet humanity continues to struggle with that truth.

Perhaps the problem is not that Wisdom has stopped speaking.

Perhaps the problem is that we have stopped listening.

But she is still there—standing quietly at the edge of our decisions, calling us toward patience, mercy, and life.

Maybe it is time we turn our heads and hear her again.

Maybe it is time we finally listen to our sister.

Prayer

Lord, when anger grows loud in our world and in our hearts, help us hear the quiet voice of Wisdom. Teach us to pause before reacting, to choose kindness where others choose rage, and to remember that every person carries the breath You have given. Guide our steps toward patience, mercy, and peace. And when we stand at the crossroads of our choices, help us listen to the wisdom You place before us. Amen.

Copyright 2022, Revised March 2026, Gary Landerfelt; MyPericope.com, GaryLanderfelt