In Search of Wisdom
A record number of young people will be enjoying their first few weeks of
university life this month. Our society, with the mantra "Education,
education, education" ringing in our ears, rightly values the importance
of learning and our quest for knowledge. Indeed, we often hear commentators
telling us that the solution to most of the world's problems is better
education. But is that really all that is necessary -surely it was educated
people who created the atom bomb, and who continue to think up new and
ingenious ways for us to destroy one another? Isn't it possible to be, as
the saying goes, "all dollars, but no sense" ?
I want to suggest that an important aspect of knowledge is wisdom -but what does it mean to be 'wise'? Each new generation faces a world with more choices and opportunities than ever before and, in my opinion, wisdom is the ability to choose what is right and good. Whilst some might suggest that a lack of education is the reason that some people choose a criminal lifestyle -doesn't the case of Bernard Madoff (whose fraudulent investment schemes stole £33bn of people's hard earned money) lead us to think that education just makes cleverer criminals?
When I went to university my grandmother gave me a Bible and wrote these words from Proverbs 3:5 inside the front cover: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" . The Bible offers a different perspective on knowledge and tells us it's not just what you know, but who you know that is important. Indeed, the Hebrew word used for 'knowledge'in the Old Testament is the same word that is used to describe the intimate relationship between husband and wife, and this is evident in the older translations which talk about Adam 'knowing'Eve. Our relationship with God and our respect for His ways is, the Bible says, the beginning of wisdom.
Of course there are those who have done terrible things 'in the name of religion' -but a relationship with God isn't about being religious, or going through certain rituals. Those who really 'know'God realise that his heart beats to the rhythm of love, joy, peace and justice, and they seek to live their own lives in tune with the heartbeat of God. Even those who wouldn't call themselves Christian acknowledge the wisdom in the teaching of Jesus. Perhaps his life, one lived in perfect harmony with God, should be our inspiration and guide as we seek real wisdom in the midst of the challenges that our modern life brings?