Many Faces of Wisdom
Wisdom in Proverbs
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)
The Value of Wisdom
Romans 15:1-6 New International Version
15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[ a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Reflection
In these days of civil unrest, those who carry the greatest burden of systemic and cultural injustice have risen in protest. Are people protesting because we, the privileged, have not been strong enough to "bear with the failings of the weak?" The weakness of which I speak is not the weakness of the oppressed but rather the failings of the privileged who have been blind to the systemic injustices we have perpetrated.
The hope to change our failure to maintain a just and compassionate society lies in the history of God's people. Study the Old Testament scriptures with an eye toward the hope in God's saving grace and God's willingness to teach us through the endurance of our self-wrought suffering.
Pray
Pray so that you can learn from your suffering. Pray so that you can exercise obedience to the Word Incarnate and not reenact the errors of the past. Pray for the wisdom of seeking peace and justice.
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