Wisdom in the Streets

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise,

making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be foolish

but understand what the Lord's will is.”

~ Ephesians 5:15 – 17

This seems like a pretty good passage to start off the new year – we all know we're going to be another year older; it would be nice to be another year wiser, as some sort of compensation! And you can't be wiser just by deciding to be – there's some work involved: either you become wiser through experience (not always, but often, painful) or by studying others' experiences. As I tell my kids (or think towards my kids), you don't have to make every mistake yourself; you can learn from others' mistakes as well.

In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is often personified as a woman. We meet her in chapter one, calling aloud, raising her voice, shouting out in the open, in the public square, on noisy street corners, at the city gate, urging passersby to listen and heed her warnings. And then, when the passersby ignore her and disregard her voice, Wisdom laughs at their calamity and mocks them when disaster and distress overwhelm them. Seems kind of harsh. But Wisdom says at the end of the chapter, “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm” (vs. 32 – 33).

So really, the responsibility for being wise lies with us – Wisdom has done her job, calling out, waving her arms, warning, advising. Our job is to heed her call and live by it.

Why is it, then, that we struggle to figure out which is the wise path to take? Why can't we discern whether the voice we hear on the street corner is Wisdom warning us away from danger or simply a crazy person waving their arms in the midst of a noisy crowd?

I think perhaps our ability to discern is tied to what we're looking for – are we looking for wisdom or are we looking for approval from others? That's my quandary; others will have different struggles. If you think you're the only one with good ideas, you may see Wisdom as a crazy person and miss the message. Or start arguing with her. If you're just trying to keep your head down and blend in with the crowd, you may not even notice Wisdom shouting on the street corner. Or try to avoid being associated with that oddball. If you're too busy in the rat race of life, traffic may force you past Wisdom without slowing down to understand what she's saying.

The beginning of chapter two says that if we are listening for wisdom, calling out for her as loudly as she is calling to us, looking for her as for a treasure, then we will “understand the fear of the LORD [which is the beginning of wisdom Prov. 9:10] and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom...” (Prov. 2:5 – 6a).

So slow down, pay attention, be on the lookout for Wisdom. You'll see her; it's up to you to recognize her and listen.