Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. – Proverbs 9:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 23, 2016): Proverbs 9

Sometimes we think that the Bible is filled with the mysterious. We even have a word for it – it is sacred, for only that which is sacred can explain the message of God. It is holy, or set apart for God, as opposed to being secular or ordinary. And all of that is true – in a way. But it is also misleading.

Every time I lead in communion, I like to remind the people that the elements were not all that unusual – at least for the time period of that first communion supper. The bread was unleavened because during Passover no yeast was used in baking. It was simply the ordinary bread that was on the table. The communion wine was just the regular wine that they had been drinking during the meal. Several years ago on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Good Friday), I sat with some friends in a donut shop and we decided to celebrate communion. After all, it was on that first “Maundy Thursday” that the Eucharist was first celebrated. So we sat there with pieces of bagel and donut and muffins and spoke the words – this is my body. We took the pop and coffee and hot chocolate that was left in our cups and spoke the words – this is the blood of the New Covenant. As at the first time that Jesus and his disciples shared the bread and the cup, it was what was left on the table after our meal. It was common, and not really sacred although we made it into a sacred moment.

A lot of thought has gone into trying to decipher the seven pillars of the House of Wisdom. Some have thought that maybe the seven indicates the perfection of the house. Others have wondered if maybe seven things are integral to wisdom, like knowledge, patience, discretion, prudence, mercy, faith, and love. Or, perhaps, this is just the feature of well-built houses of the day. This is the conventional structure of the house. More and more Bible scholars are beginning to agree with the last understanding. It isn’t that wisdom is sacred; it is secular. It is not that wisdom is holy; it is ordinary. It is available to all of us if we are willing to take the time to build the house. There is nothing special about it. It has the same seven pillars as any other well-built home.

The truth that I know is this. I am friends with a lot of people who are filled with knowledge. They have been to the best Universities, and they have read extensively – yet they lack wisdom. And I know people who have lived a simple life and who will quickly admit that they lack knowledge – yet they are wise. For me, I want to spend my time in the company wise. The smart ones who know everything wear me out. And to be honest, their knowledge without wisdom is worthless. I want to know the common people who have spent time in their lives to build the House of Wisdom. They are the ones who will truly make a difference. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 10