You asked

how can we actively identify who is 'mute' or 'desolate' in today's tech design processes?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Proverbs 31:8-9

“Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all such as are left desolate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”

This passage is part of the final chapter of Proverbs, which contains the words of King Lemuel, taught to him by his mother. This section offers practical wisdom and ethical instruction, particularly focusing on the responsibilities of leadership and just governance.

What systems or practices could we implement to ensure that those often left out of design conversations have a genuine voice?

Then — the setting

Proverbs 31, likely compiled sometime after the 6th century BCE, presents a collection of wisdom passed from a queen mother to her son, King Lemuel. This counsel underscores the monarch's duty to uphold justice for the most vulnerable members of society—the 'mute,' 'desolate,' 'poor,' and 'needy.' These terms refer to those lacking social standing, legal representation, or economic resources, who were often exploited or ignored within ancient Near Eastern societies, where justice was heavily tied to social status and influence.

Across the Testaments

This Old Testament passage from Proverbs highlights the recurring theme of divine concern for the vulnerable. While Proverbs focuses on wisdom for righteous governance, the New Testament deepens this call to advocacy, often personalizing it through Jesus's identification with the 'least of these' (Matthew 25:40) and the early church's practice of communal care (Acts 4:32-35). Both testaments consistently challenge systems that marginalize, urging active intervention on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves or have been forgotten.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Isaiah 1:17
Urges seeking justice, correcting oppression, and pleading for the widow and orphan.
James 1:27
Defines true religion as caring for orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself unstained from the world.
Deuteronomy 24:17
Commands against perverting justice for foreigners or orphans, and taking a widow's garment as security.

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