Photo by: ClixYou
Woke up this morning to hear the news of another devastating earthquake: This one registering 8.8 in Central Chile.
Wondering what this is going to mean for the people of that shaken region even as we continue to hear about the hundreds of thousands in Haiti who are still without housing, security, or answers for what their life is going to look like in the days ahead.
Am reminded of some of the speculation we’ve heard about why national disasters happen to some people… and not others… which can then lead to the “why us rather than not someone else?”… when it comes to our own problems.
The fact that what we do know is often accompanied by so much more that we don‘t know has me thinking again about something we’ve talked about in the past:
When looking for a way to get through regional loss, family concerns, or personal failure… why is it that we tend to want to be around those who seem to be wise— even more than those known for their intelligence or biblical literacy?
Maybe I should only speak for myself. Why is it that, when I’m hurting– and even though I value the Bible more than any book or newspaper in the world– I’d rather be with a person known for their wisdom rather than for their command of the Scriptures?
If I’m hurting, why don’t I want to be around someone who knows the Bible cover to cover— especially if they seem like they are anxious to let me know how much they know? Why am I more inclined to want to be around people who seem to be better at asking questions than answering them?
I don’t ask this to imply that my motives are always right for not wanting to get quick answers. Sometimes I’m not ready to hear the truth. Sometimes I’d rather hide behind complexity rather than acknowledge an answer that throws light on my faults, wrongs, and fearful heart. Sometimes I’m not ready to go there…
Or, on the other hand, maybe what I’ve just said is not the case…
Sometimes… and even very often… I really am looking for the truth.
Maybe that’s why I would rather be around a wise person who knew enough about the Bible to ask me the right questions… rather than to tell me a lot of what they know… and more.
It’s the “and more” that I’m convinced can run already hurting people into the ground… and worse.
I’m not saying we need less knowledge of the Bible… Am just increasingly convinced that there is a reason that both Old and New Testaments place a high value not only on knowledge, but also on wisdom (Prov 3:13-15; Col 3:16).
I think so often about Nathan the prophet who, with Solomonic, (or “dog-whisperer” cleverness) told the shepherd King David a story about a rich man who killed a poor man’s pet lamb in order to provide a meal for a guest. Nathan obviously understood the king’s shepherd background and the fact that David could identify with affection for a lamb.
Only when a spiritually cold David became emotional over what the arrogant rich man had done, did Nathan use the vulnerability of those feelings to say, i.e. “Don’t you see, David, this is really about you. It’s what you did in taking the wife of one of your generals– for yourself (2Sam 12).
In this case, Nathan knew that David needed to be confronted. But he was very clever in how he did it.
Nathan’s use of the right story to confront David is the wise counterpart to the foolishness of the intelligent, biblically literate friends of Job who misapplied their “biblical” knowledge that “we reap what we sow” to add undeserved pain to an already suffering Job. (Job 4:7-8).
Note: Steve (SFDBWV) from West Virginia sent us some pictures of the snow they are dealing with. I (Mart) live in Michigan and have never seen snow like this! Thanks Steve for giving us a look.
40 inch Measuring Stick
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