There’s a grand mythology that those who wish to know God must find a magic key to unlock the Heavenly Door. This is found in observing “correct” positions for praying, and perhaps uttering words which will flatter or coerce God into granting every wish. Or in journeying a long way to a mystic mountain to grasp the hem of God’s robe. Or by identifying places where a polite God couldn’t be found…. This weekend’s scriptures point to a pro-active God who keeps breaking into our fortified memories and walking the street-corners of our guilty fantasies.
“Proverbs” are snippets of worldly advice, whereas “Wisdom” refers to Eternal Truths about knowing deity. The book should really be known as “Wisdom”, better than “Proverbs”. Call it what we will, we’ll read from the First Chapter, beginning at verse 20. Wisdom/Sophia/the Holy Spirit is here seen soliciting in the market-place: “I will make my words known to you.” Alas! some have refused this gift: “[They] would have none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof…they shall eat the fruit of THEIR way and be sated with THEIR OWN devices….but those who listen to me will be secure.” We ignore Holy Wisdom at our own peril!
St. James tells us to hold our tongue (3:1-12). Rich in imagery, the passage bemoans our hypocrisy of language: “With [our tongue] we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God.” (v.9) Our tongue is pictured as a fire, a “world of iniquity”, itself “set on fire by hell”. For James, disparaging and disrespectful talk is more than a momentary problem, for it indicates the brokenness of a needy and lop-sided Creation. The one who speaks ill of another denies the Holy Spirit’s ability to extend Grace!
“Who do people say that I am? Who do YOU say that I am?” are questions of Jesus remembered in Chapter 8 of Mark’s Gospel. Again we contrast the Voice of the Crowd with the Voice whispering deep in our soul. And then (vv.31-33) comes a cosmic dialogue, Darkness against Light, profane against sacred, today against forever: Peter began to rebuke Jesus’ forthcoming passion; but Jesus rebuked Peter for his clinging to “human things”. Well, somebody had to speak for all of us!
So, is there power in the Spoken Word? We affirm a heavenly LOGOS, the Word of God now made in human container. How does this Word resonate as an assertive, foot-in-the-door Wisdom? And how do our tongues reflect–and too often deny–this inborn Presence of God? And will we miss the Big Picture of God’s slowly unfolding Kingdom by dwelling upon our own muted and wistful voices of the status quo?
God Bless Us, Every One. Horace Brown King
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