Proverbs 1:1-7

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

For learning about wisdom and instruction,
for understanding words of insight,
for gaining instruction in wise dealing,
righteousness, justice, and equity;
to teach shrewdness to the simple,
knowledge and prudence to the young--
Let the wise also hear and gain in learning,
and the discerning acquire skill,
to understand a proverb and a figure,
the words of the wise and their riddles.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Comments: This is a good reading for the first day back after the New Year. Wisdom was what a righteous person was supposed to court in the time after the Exile. We don’t talk about wisdom that much these days—a pity. We need it so much. Wisdom was not just the accumulation of facts. It is much more. Ultimately it is about relationships. Knowledge serves relationships. And ultimately faith is about THE relationship, the bond between God and humanity in Jesus Christ.

Is wisdom something that we can attain, or is it graced? Wisdom is that which comes from the interaction between God and the human, so it is both. I know I have to prepare myself by being knowledgeable about people, events and things. That is part of leadership. But once I have that knowledge I have to use it wisely. That can only come with the direction of the Holy Spirit.