Wisdom and Transcendence
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 -- Week of Proper 25, Year Two
Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, 899
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 991)
Psalms 45 (morning) 47, 48 (evening)
Ecclesiasticus* 24:1-12
Revelation 11:14-19
Luke 11:27-36
* found in the Apocrypha; also known as the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach
At the midpoint of the book of wisdom by Ben Sira, we hear the voice of Wisdom herself. She begins in the divine realm with the heavenly hosts. She is the Word of God -- "I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist." We see her first in creation and nature, in cloud, abyss and waves -- "over all the earth." Then we see Wisdom present with authority "over every people and nation."
Finally, Wisdom finds a resting place in Jerusalem. Later Ben Sira will identify her with the Torah, and will speak of Wisdom's fruitfulness like the water that comes from the great rivers. Toward the end of the poem, Ben Sira will speak of his own relationship with the waters of Wisdom. He is like a canal from a river, channeling water into a garden, growing into a river, expanding as a sea. His labor will refresh "all who seek wisdom."
Some of the imagery in John's Revelation has a similar theme. An angel blows a trumpet and it is announced: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever." It is done. It is a fact. We are close to the midpoint of John's book, but the triumph is already established. We see rejoicing in heaven, and John has a vision of the Divine Holy of Holies -- God's temple in heaven and the ark of the covenant -- the stillpoint of the universe. All of this is a fact and an established reality, even as we anticipate the coming struggle with those who threaten the earth and God's people.
Jesus also speaks apocalyptic words in our reading from Luke. Like Ben Sira, he sees Wisdom's universal effectiveness. Foreigners -- the people of Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba -- will judge the chosen people he says, because the outsiders responded enthusiastically to the word of God that was given to them.
I am reading a book that includes a brief study of virtues that are endorsed across every major religious and cultural tradition. A group of scientists surveyed the basic writings of the major religious and philosophical traditions in order to catalog what each teaching claimed were the virtues of a good life. They found six virtues that are endorsed in almost every one of these traditions:
wisdom and knowledge
courage
love and humanity
justice
temperance
spirituality and transcendence.
The author offered a scale of wisdom and knowledge, from the most developmentally basic -- curiosity and interest in the world -- up a scale of growing maturity:
curiosity/interest in the world
love of learning
judgment/critical thinking/open-mindedness
ingenuity/originality/practical intelligence/street smarts
social intelligence/personal intelligence/emotional intelligence
perspective
We feel the arc of Wisdom's blessing as we imagine ourselves growing from a budding curiosity and interest in the things of the world, to a love of learning for learning's sake, into a place of open-mindedness that enables us to sift information objectively and rationally in the service of self and others. It continues as we mature enough to be able to create novel yet appropriate solutions with a practicality that works, and grows toward a deeper social and personal intelligence of understanding the motives and feelings of others in order to take socially skilled action. The most mature level of wisdom in this analysis is perspective -- when others seek you out to draw on your experience to help them solve problems and gain perspective for themselves.
Just like Ben Sira connects Wisdom with Torah, and as John the Divine sees the Holy of Holies as the center of all life even while conflict occurs around us, and as Jesus centers on God's manifestation in him and in all peoples -- so this scientific study I'm reading connects wisdom and knowledge with spirituality and transcendence. They commend emotional strengths that reach outside and beyond us to connect us to something larger and more permanent: to other people, to the future, to evolution, to the divine, to the universe. The categories of this sixth virtue of transcendence include qualities like appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, optimism, future-mindedness, forgiveness, mercy, playfulness, humor, zest, passion and enthusiasm.
Wisdom seeks to be incarnate -- to be manifest in creation and in us. May Ben Sira's prayer be answered, that Wisdom may take "root in an honored people, in the portion of the Lord, his heritage." May we be that heritage.
(the book I am reading is "Authentic Happiness" by Martin E. P. Seligman)
Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, 899
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 991)
Psalms 45 (morning) 47, 48 (evening)
Ecclesiasticus* 24:1-12
Revelation 11:14-19
Luke 11:27-36
* found in the Apocrypha; also known as the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach
At the midpoint of the book of wisdom by Ben Sira, we hear the voice of Wisdom herself. She begins in the divine realm with the heavenly hosts. She is the Word of God -- "I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist." We see her first in creation and nature, in cloud, abyss and waves -- "over all the earth." Then we see Wisdom present with authority "over every people and nation."
Finally, Wisdom finds a resting place in Jerusalem. Later Ben Sira will identify her with the Torah, and will speak of Wisdom's fruitfulness like the water that comes from the great rivers. Toward the end of the poem, Ben Sira will speak of his own relationship with the waters of Wisdom. He is like a canal from a river, channeling water into a garden, growing into a river, expanding as a sea. His labor will refresh "all who seek wisdom."
Some of the imagery in John's Revelation has a similar theme. An angel blows a trumpet and it is announced: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever." It is done. It is a fact. We are close to the midpoint of John's book, but the triumph is already established. We see rejoicing in heaven, and John has a vision of the Divine Holy of Holies -- God's temple in heaven and the ark of the covenant -- the stillpoint of the universe. All of this is a fact and an established reality, even as we anticipate the coming struggle with those who threaten the earth and God's people.
Jesus also speaks apocalyptic words in our reading from Luke. Like Ben Sira, he sees Wisdom's universal effectiveness. Foreigners -- the people of Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba -- will judge the chosen people he says, because the outsiders responded enthusiastically to the word of God that was given to them.
I am reading a book that includes a brief study of virtues that are endorsed across every major religious and cultural tradition. A group of scientists surveyed the basic writings of the major religious and philosophical traditions in order to catalog what each teaching claimed were the virtues of a good life. They found six virtues that are endorsed in almost every one of these traditions:
wisdom and knowledge
courage
love and humanity
justice
temperance
spirituality and transcendence.
The author offered a scale of wisdom and knowledge, from the most developmentally basic -- curiosity and interest in the world -- up a scale of growing maturity:
curiosity/interest in the world
love of learning
judgment/critical thinking/open-mindedness
ingenuity/originality/practical intelligence/street smarts
social intelligence/personal intelligence/emotional intelligence
perspective
We feel the arc of Wisdom's blessing as we imagine ourselves growing from a budding curiosity and interest in the things of the world, to a love of learning for learning's sake, into a place of open-mindedness that enables us to sift information objectively and rationally in the service of self and others. It continues as we mature enough to be able to create novel yet appropriate solutions with a practicality that works, and grows toward a deeper social and personal intelligence of understanding the motives and feelings of others in order to take socially skilled action. The most mature level of wisdom in this analysis is perspective -- when others seek you out to draw on your experience to help them solve problems and gain perspective for themselves.
Just like Ben Sira connects Wisdom with Torah, and as John the Divine sees the Holy of Holies as the center of all life even while conflict occurs around us, and as Jesus centers on God's manifestation in him and in all peoples -- so this scientific study I'm reading connects wisdom and knowledge with spirituality and transcendence. They commend emotional strengths that reach outside and beyond us to connect us to something larger and more permanent: to other people, to the future, to evolution, to the divine, to the universe. The categories of this sixth virtue of transcendence include qualities like appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, optimism, future-mindedness, forgiveness, mercy, playfulness, humor, zest, passion and enthusiasm.
Wisdom seeks to be incarnate -- to be manifest in creation and in us. May Ben Sira's prayer be answered, that Wisdom may take "root in an honored people, in the portion of the Lord, his heritage." May we be that heritage.
(the book I am reading is "Authentic Happiness" by Martin E. P. Seligman)
__________________
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The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love. See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org Our Rule of Life: We aspire to... worship weekly pray daily learn constantly serve joyfully live generously. Lowell Grisham, Rector St. Paul's Episcopal Church Fayetteville, Arkansas |
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