Wisdom

A trivia quiz:

1. At the time of the census which was conducted by Moses in the first chapter of Numbers, which of the twelve tribes of Israel was the largest?
2. Who did Peter raise from the dead in Joppa?
3. What two men in the Bible never died? A. Jesus and Lazarus B. Methuselah and Elijah C. Enoch and Elijah D. Paul and Metheselah

Answers: (Should I type them so you have to hold your computer upside down to read them?) 1. Judah, with 74,600 people 2. Dorcas 3. C. Enoch and Elijah

Did you know the answers? If not, now that you do, do you feel closer to God? If you knew the answers already, did that knowledge help you to feel closer to God? No? Why not?

If we consider wisdom, can we equate it with knowledge?

Consider these verses from James 3:13-16 (Lectionary reading this week. I know it's a long one, but it's one large piece -- it all needs what is around it):

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom - it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.

Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

We often, I think, equate being wise with having a large amount of knowledge. We pride ourselves on "knowing." In fact, for many of the jobs we do in the world, a large wealth of knowledge is required. We may be asked to pass a scary exam to prove our knowledge. My boss is often quizzing those in our fellowship program with questions like, "So what is the difference between precision and accuracy?" (And if they have been good little fellows, and listened to the research associate (me), then they know the answer). Knowledge, though, is not what James is talking about. He's talking about wisdom.

I think in this context, we can equate wisdom with a closeness to God. Our wisdom originates from God. I like what Thomas Ettinger (the devotional writer from Disciplines this week) said about Martin Luther King, Jr. "His wisdom came from reliance on God." Solomon had wisdom; it was a gift from God. It was when he strayed from God, doing those things of which God would not approve, that his world began to fall apart. The source of wisdom is vertical -- it comes from a relationship with God.

The James passage deals with the more horizontal aspects of wisdom -- the fruits of wisdom. I haven't done a line by line comparison, but doesn't the James passage remind you of 1 Corinthians 13 -- the love passage? James is very practical in nature, so what is his advice for living a life of wisdom? His starts with what NOT to do, and then moves on to more positive advice.

Avoid mean spirited ambition

Avoid boasting

Avoid twisting the truth

Avoid trying to make yourself LOOK better

Be gentle, reasonable and merciful

Live a life that blesses others

Be constant

Do the hard work of getting along with others

Treat others with dignity and honor

Well, there's nothing difficult about that list, is there? Notice that no where does it say that I cannot be sarcastic. I especially like the phrase, "Do the hard work of getting along with others." It is hard work, at times, but James doesn't let us use that as an excuse.

It's a good thing that we don't have to develop this life of wisdom on our own. Never forget that wisdom has more than a horizontal component. It's source is found in the vertical -- it's source is from God.

Live well, live wisely, live humbly.

It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.

Image: Sixth Avenue from Tenth Street on the way to a meeting Wednesday evening at church.