Hi everyone,
So… I think I’m getting old. As I sit at home watching my kids play and realising that I don’t really get what they find funny anymore, I feel like I’m out of touch. As they laugh and laugh at memes and internet slang, I find myself quickly looking things up to understand the context. And as they find it funnier and funnier, I’m starting to see how often I tell them to keep it down because the loud noises hurt my ears.
Yeah, I think I’m getting old.
Not that this is a bad thing, as everyone every where in every time is subject to the passing of the seconds. But I do think that it’s bad that the older I get, I seem to think that everyone needs to act my age, almost like how I live at this very moment is the only way to live. Like I have it all together, or I have it all figured out, or that I have some sort of age-given wisdom that allows me better insight on good living over others.
Then I see the joy in the faces of my kids, and I realise that I have no idea what I’m talking about. Sure, I might be my age and I live how I live, but I cannot expect anyone else to be exactly like me, especially my kids who are only a fraction of my age. So I start to realise more and more that my wisdom isn’t in how well I know things, but more in how well I love people.
So… yeah I need to wise up.
Here are the readings for next week:
Proverbs 9:1-6
Psalm 34:9-14
Ephesians 5:15-20
John 6:51-58
When I first read these readings I was thinking “yikes, sounds like a lot of law in here… like we have to be wise or else.” And that kind of thing is hard for me, as I admit that I’m not the most wise or mature when it comes to regular standards of wisdom and maturity. But as I read over again and started to put all the readings together, I see that wisdom isn’t just about knowing things and reading lots (while that could be related), but it about community and how we relate to each other.
Wisdom is portrayed as a welcoming host invited all types of people into her home. Wisdom is described as self-control and treating others with respect. Wisdom is described as God’s Word, the bread of life from heaven, Jesus Christ. And Jesus teaches us all about community, serving one another, and love.
It is by this wisdom that we know God. It is by this wisdom that we can live life more fully. It is by this wisdom that we can see God’s purpose for us, living as the body of Christ in the world, loving and serving each other in God’s name.
I’m not saying that this is easy by any means, but I am saying that by the grace of God we can all partake in this wisdom that gives us life, that we can go out into the world to share this wisdom with all through our actions and service. Thanks be to God.
Have a great week, everyone!