Wisdom Comes

I love writing that employs personification. There’s just something about imagining something nonhuman—a quality or a concept—as human. Somehow, it opens our eyes to see things in a new way, to understand and appreciate them in a more relational way than we might otherwise.

The author of our first reading for this day describes Wisdom as a woman…and this personification immediately captures our attention and invites us to know this radiant and unfading one. Wisdom, the author writes, is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.

This week, especially, isn’t it encouraging to think of Wisdom as being so accessible to us?

At a time when it may feel like there is no path forward for healing in our nation…

At a time when the divisions are so stark and so painful…

At a time when there is so much we don’t know or understand as we seek to love one another…

…Wisdom can be found sitting at the gate. She’s there. We have only to love her, have only to seek her. And she’s not hiding. She’s right there at the gate. We have only to rise early and go to her.

That’s where the author begins. Go to Wisdom. Go. She’s there for you.

And then, as if even that isn’t quite right, as if even that much assurance isn’t quite enough assurance for those who seek her, the author goes on: she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought.

Wisdom comes to us.

We fix our thoughts on her and she comes to us. We can seek her, yes, but it’s also true that she seeks us. She doesn’t just sit at the gate waiting; she appears to us on the path. She meets us in our thoughts.

My thoughts are a jumbled mess these days. I don’t know when to speak. I don’t know when to remain silent. I don’t know when I should listen and lift up the voices of others and when my own voice is important and needed. I don’t know how to be faithful and compassionate. I don’t know how to be kind and principled, gracious and true.

I need Wisdom. We need Wisdom. And she comes.

Wisdom appears to us on this difficult path, with loose rocks and half buried tree roots and all manner of hazards just waiting to trip us up. She appears to us on this narrow path, with sharp drop offs on either side. She shows up for us with the grace we need to navigate this journey toward healing, and hope, and justice, and true peace for all people. We need Wisdom and she comes.

She raises her voice; she calls to us to listen so that we might live secure (Proverbs 1).

She is a breath of the power of God (Wisdom of Solomon 7:25). She is a reflection of eternal light, an image of God’s goodness (Wisdom of Solomon 7:26). Wisdom teaches justice and courage (Wisdom of Solomon 8:7).  Evil does not prevail against her (Wisdom of Solomon 7:30).  She can do all things and renews all things. She comes to us and makes us friends of God (Wisdom of Solomon 7:27).

In Jesus, Wisdom puts on our humanity. Wisdom is no longer personified through words alone, but she actually becomes human. She actually becomes one of us.

In Jesus, the Wisdom of God lives our life and dies our death; experiences our heartache; endures the worst of what we do to ourselves and to one another; and then—descending even to hell—redeems it all; frees us from it all; renews all things; renews us;  teaches us justice and courage for a future filled with hope.

Thanks be to God. Amen.