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SERMONS Sean Gilbert In the words of Proverbs, Wisdom is “a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; fortunate one they who embrace her.” A lovely, yet evocative image particularly when we place it alongside that mysterious and strange story in Genesis where Adam and Eve are actually kept from such a tree, lest they have their eyes opened and live forever. As Charles has made mention, the Wisdom tradition in Israel, as with many other ancient cultures, is a rich and broad one indeed. Not primarily concerning itself with histories of salvation or God’s particular favour of one land or people, the wisdom schools and their sages, taught about life in its breadth, potential and complexity, often becoming a subversive voice or movement within the religious mainstream of the day. The Book of Job or even Ecclesiastes, being classic examples of both open and compelling critiques of the religions of cause and effect, whereby God blesses or curses according to good or bad behaviour. Through a more poetic and honest reading of life the writer of these books took seriously the place of doubt, ambiguity, innocent suffering and the like, coming to the conclusion that yes, we can still name and know something about the mystery of God, but only with due humility, or through the disposition Solomon in our story prays for, an understanding mind or better still a listening heart as one translation puts it. After all, the fear of the Lord – an underlying reverence and awe - is the beginning of human wisdom. Needless to say then, I think the wisdom tradition and its literature have much to offer us in 2006, not only in terms of a more honest and lyrical faith perspective, but in the way we then dialogue with and relate to, people of other cultures and belief. When we begin with the premise of commonality, whereby all of us on planet earth share a life given, so that a religious faith would seek only a handle on that one shared reality, not segregating us up, not bunkering us down into our own inflated sense of pride nor place. Perhaps in a youthful enthusiasm we need to talk about a particular faith, a particular God and a particular people or movement, but the older and hopefully wiser I become, the less I care for such things. I simply don’t believe anymore in promised lands or singled out, favoured peoples. For I sense it to be such an ego-centric and ego driven world view, that historically has wreaked havoc and continues to wreak havoc in the name of particular Gods and faiths, including of course our own. So, where does that leave us then, within the Christian faith and the Christian tradition? I honestly think a careful reading and balancing of our sacred texts would also show that Jesus, as a genuine sage is also a teacher of life; this life. Our problem has been that he is so often depicted as the divine sacrificial lamb, the one who dies for our sins and saves us from this world, that we don’t hear the voice of insight and reason, the muse making up parables from observing what is happening around him. The one who is a listening heart so far as the mystery of God and life is concerned, ands who, time and time again, says go and be likewise. Take this wise and open disposition into the world, and whilst it may not be given full public acclaim, it will give and leave great legacies of hope and compassion. Planted trees of life for others… For the listening heart, the understanding mind does look out through open or translucent windows. A conscious choice in other words; in fact, a determination not to be conformed, not to be self-satisfied, and not to be lazy in things of spirit and soul. And
for me, a religion of comfortable conformity, or of self-absorption
is not only lazy for its lack of wonderment and honesty; it contributes
little or nothing to the well-being of the whole. Whereas a religion
that continually prays for wisdom, a faith perspective that seeks to
embrace life, not seize it or fully decipher it, is one that does contribute
in a very real and tangible way… The openness of spirit, the
ready warmth of humanity, the willingness to learn and relearn, the
courage to admit mistakes, the creative urges born of new insights,
all make up for a life of what Jesus described as “light” and “salt”-
a light on the hill and salt in the broth. People and communities who
are alive to their own human experience and insight, who don’t
feel in any way abashed or constrained by their faith, but who use
it continually as a vehicle of their own growth and service towards
others… A strong imperative, in other words. And a much needed one at that. Particularly in a religious and social climate of conventional wisdom, of mindless conformity to dogmas, of leadership with great image but little substance, and of smallness, if not meanness of spirit created by anxiety. For it is into that directionless and dangerous mix, the call to be wise is strong and persistent. A call never to find or make one separate or above others, but to be engaged and to be at the very heart of all things human, all things significant for our world’s future. Let us take a few moments for our own thought and prayer…
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