Stewart Weaver

Wisdom: what is it?

It almost echoes Pilates famous words in the Gospel of John, having washed his hands of any part to do with Jesus’ execution: what is truth?

‘It just didn’t click anymore.’
That’s the comment made to me by a member of the congregation who some years ago stopped coming along.  On one level it became more and more of a battle to get children out of the house for Sunday School.  Was it worth it?  On another level, so much of the faith that we hold now just doesn’t seem to mesh, to reflect or to challenge adequately the modern world.  She felt she was like one of the multitude of people who live in something of a no-man’s land of faith.  Somewhere between the complete and utter rejection of faith, religion and transcendence and an inability to accept in good conscience many of the credos and statements of faith that are a part of our heritage.

What is the wise response here?
Challenge? Understanding? Partial agreement?  Prayer?

In the course of our conversation it was mentioned that the community of the church was undoubtedly something precious.  There is and was great appreciation of the community spirit, the dedication of the faithful and the striving for a way of life, a set of morals, that are all too often swept away in the world today.  But.  But. But.  Something didn’t click.

Start where people are, that’s what I’m told.
People need community: we’ve got it.
People yearn for purpose: we can provide it.
People year for spirituality: we provide peace.

The readings this week focus on wisdom.  The Old Testament from Proverbs 15, where the writer is emphasising the importance of careful use of language.  And there is also the famous section from Luke6, The Sermon on the Plain.  Jesus emphasises the importance of listening to him and likens the wise man to the one who builds on rock and not on sand.  Listening to Christ and his words of wisdom, acting on them, basing one’s life on them: that’s wisdom.  And when the waters rise, the life of faith will continue.

But how, then, does one respond to this lapsed member of the congregation in wisdom?  Are we trying to get her and thousands of others back into the faith, into the congregation, to re-establish their relationship with the Church and Christ?  Or is that too much effort when we need to let God do the work?

Today as I was cycling to the store I passed one of the local fathers and gave him a wave and a smile.  He is a thoughtful and kind man who takes care of his children full time.  He has an excellent sense of humour, is involved in the community, got involved when one of our local homeless men needed assistance and has no ties with any church.  Further down the street another family I didn’t know at all were tripping down the road to get to the beach.  Part of me wanted them and others like them to come along to church, to get to know others in the church, to found their lives on faith and love and grace and Christ.

And a part of me thought: why?
Of course we want to share our faith with others, but why such compulsion?

One evangelical minister told me the story of his compatriot.  Lamenting the relaxed manner that some ministers approached evangelism he said he could never do so.  It was like living in a street, seeing a house on fire and not trying to save the person hanging from the window.  It was that serious and that immediate: that’s why one should do everything at one’s disposal to get people to church, to get them into a relationship with Christ, to save them.

A bit drastic for me.
Can’t we just be?
Can’t we just be Christians and the inherent, abiding love will spill forth?
Can’t we simply follow Christ and serve the community, the elderly, the lonely, the homeless, knowing it is the right thing to do?

A counsel of despair perhaps?
But I pictured Christ on the cross.  He went to that cross not to build up a church that had bums on pews.  He went to that cross not to increase the number of programmes offered by the disciples.  He went to the cross not to increase the support proffered to him and his wandering band of disciples.

He went to the cross doing what was right in the eyes of God:
challenge the structures that impeded a relationship with God;
walk with, talk with, be with, heal the outcasts;
and take time out to listen, listen, listen.

He died doing this but yet he lived.

Whence wisdom for the church?
Whence wisdom for the searching Christian?

Listen. Challenge.  Serve.  Pray.
Listen.  Challenge.  Serve.  Pray.

Repeat into eternity.

And if, doing the right thing for God, doing what Christ calls us to do, we die as a church, as a community, so be it.  Ours is a resurrection faith.  Life will spring again in love.

Love eternal.