Read
Wisdom Speaks
20 Wisdom shouts in the streets
wherever crowds gather.
21She shouts in the marketplaces
and near the city gates
as she says to the people,
22“How much longer
will you enjoy
being stupid fools?
Won't you ever stop sneering
and laughing at knowledge?
23Listen as I correct you
and tell you what I think.
Reflect
We are treated to a vision of Wisdom trying to get our attention amidst the noisy streets. She takes initiative, and speaks provocatively calling us stupid, foolish, and mockers. The call comes from a heart of love, like a mother for her clueless child trying to grab the burner on a hot stove. Wisdom will do all she can to break through the din of culture trying to distract us from her voice.
But the response most people give to the call of reason is one of derision, ignorance, and arrogance. When our culture hears a nugget of moral insight, they attack. “That’s so old-school! Nobody thinks like that anymore. What a prude!”
Wisdom wants to correct our hearts. The irony is that this passage itself is Wisdom speaking, yet most people around us laugh at the Bible. They enjoy making fun of Scripture despite the life-giving truth it has provided for two thousand years. We need to ask ourselves, “Do I listen to Wisdom?” Or do we sometimes fall into the attitude that modern culture knows better?
It is easy to sink into the trap of foolishness, dismissing Wisdom as she speaks to us through Scripture. We need to listen carefully as she invites us in, follow her voice through the winding streets, and come to sit at her feet and gain the knowledge that leads to skillful living. When we open up our hearts and minds to her ancient insight, our lives are better for it, and our hearts become strong enough to resist the fear of not being accepted by the people who are lost in the crowd.
Respond
God of all Wisdom, you are Creator and knower of all truth. We ask for strength to listen to your voice in Scripture, so that we can resist our culture’s lies and not fall into a foolish way of life, but walk in joy and peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Cyril Guerette
Dr. Cyril Guerette is Lead Pastor of ForestView Church Without Walls in Oakville, ON. He also served for 10 years as a pastor in downtown Toronto. He holds a PhD (University of St. Michael’s College) and M.Phil (University of Cambridge) and serves as Associate Professor of Philosophy & Theology at Heritage College & Seminary. Cyril enjoys writing, taking walks, making hiphop music, playing with his children, and admiring the mixed-media photographic artwork of his wife, Maegan. Publications: Guerette, Cyril. Poetic/Dialectic: The Confluence of Poetry and Philosophy in St. Anselm’s Theology. Portland, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2017 (Forthcoming). Guerette, Cyril. “The Pastor as Poet”, in For Christ and His Church. Edited by Rick Reed. Kitchener-Waterloo, ON: Joshua Press, 2015. Guerette, Cyril. “An Appeal to Zeal”, in Letters to a Future Church: Words of Encouragement and Prophetic Appeals. Edited by Chris Lewis. Downer’s Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2012.