Do You Want To Be Right, or Be In Relationship?
Dear Savannah and Sutton,
Being right is often not the most important thing. Just like fixing the problem is often not as important as hearing the problem. Relationships are funny that way. Sometimes the person you love just wants to be heard, not to be fixed. Sometimes the person who loves you just wants you, not your solutions; they want your presence, not your presents.
-Dad
Inside Out Lectionary Letters
Year A - 3rd Sunday in Lent (Texts, Art, Hymns)
Readings for March 8, 2026
Exodus 17:1-7 / Psalm 95 / Romans 5:1-11 / John 4:5-42
The author of this psalm is not known. Nor do we know when it was written. It is considered a “royal psalm” and is believed to have been read or sung during temple festivals.
The psalm can be easily divided into four parts:
Vs. 1-2 An invitation into the presence or space of the Divine.
Vs. 3-5 The song of creation.
Vs. 6-7 The description of relationship.
Vs. 8-11 A warning about relationship based on Israel’s history.
The historical warning points to a time that seems to correspond to the story of the Israelites found in Exodus 17:1-7, and its parallel in Numbers 20:1-13. This is where God provided water from the rocks for the thirsty Israelites. Because of the Israelites contentious ways, Moses called the place Meribah, which means quarreling.
Most people have an inward drive to be right. My mom used to say, “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” That saying corresponds to the term given to those entering into their second year of college. They are called sophomores, which corresponds to the term sophomoric, which means foolish, immature, poorly informed and overconfident of knowledge. Quarreling often centers around a desire to be right, a need to be right or a drive to win.
Relationships invite us to listen, to learn, to grow together.
Knowledge is a very good thing. But knowledge is always incomplete. Paul says it beautifully in the letter to the Corinthians when he is speaking about love: “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part.” Love invites us to recognize our limitations.
I have a friend who has tried to change his language to reflect his respect for relationship. So, he has tried to permanently end his use of the phrase, “I am right,” and replace it with “I think I’m right, but I could be wrong.” (That’s a good move, because he is actually wrong most of the time.)