The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Proper 19

Sunday, 13 September 2009
The Rev’d Lloyd Prator

New York City

Today we sample another of the readings that is new to the church. We have a new lectionary and that scheme of reading is introducing some readings we have not heard. Today we read from the book of Proverbs, as we have been on and off for a month or two.

The name says it all: Proverbs is a collection of sayings. In fact, I cannot read these passages without imagining each line carefully done in cross-stitch, framed and hanging on the wall of a Victorian home.

The wisdom movement in the ancient near east was international. The search for wisdom, that is, how to lead a happy and meaningful life, was something which preoccupied men and women from earliest time. But in the case of Israel, her primary focus, at least in her early history was different. Israel was about the process of community building. And community growth and development was something they were confident would happen as history unfolded.

But something happened. From time to time, things did not go well for the community and history did not seem to be a reliable vehicle for developing a strong nation. The exile, for example, along with the corruption of the various kings and rulers and the other negative developments in Israel history made her wonder if history still had any meaning.

The wisdom writer, on the other hand, focuses on the individual. Wisdom did not have the kind of historical perspective and hope that other writings did, the writer of wisdom literature sort of put the history book back on the shelf and analyzed the individual.

There are generally two classes of wisdom literature. The first is counsel to the young on how to achieve a good life and be successful. The Book of Proverbs, which we read today, is an example of that. There is another type of wisdom literature, which consists of an anguished probing into the nature of life and its meaning, often in the setting of tragedy and uncertainty. When history is not going well, for you or your people, turn to the wisdom literature to find out the meaning of life. Job is a good example of that sort of writing.

I am always glad to see some wisdom literature come up in the lectionary. I think it does a couple of things for us Christians living in the 21st century.

First, it loosens the masculine grasp on theological imagery. Wisdom is often pictured as a woman. And sometimes a very powerful woman indeed, as for example, today, when we hear of wisdom raising her voice in the street. Hear me! Pay attention to my words! I count for something! And, notice too that the idea of wisdom, with its feminine characteristics, does not end with the old Testament. When Jesus came on the scene, he in many cases spoke like a voice of wisdom, and despite the fact that he was male in his earthly life, he fit into theological characteristics which were distinctly similar to wisdom. For example, John the Evangelist, our patron saint, spends a whole chapter talking about Jesus as the Word of God—which is an image very similar to holy wisdom. And one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity, is sacred wisdom. The spirit is a voice of wisdom within the human scene. So, wisdom introduces an element of the feminine into Christian theology.

Second, wisdom is primarily counsel to individuals. We spend a lot of time today talking about community—and that is important. We talk about the things that bind the community together, the ways to strengthen a community, the techniques to make it grow. And, certainly, the first thing Jesus did when he strode into the human scene was to go on retreat and then get about building a community. But, there is a healthy streak of individualism that runs through our faith, and wisdom touches that way of thinking. After all, one of the ways in which idealists often come down to earth is when they realize that while they want to change the world, the only certain changes they can count on are the changes them make in themselves.

And the Christian faith begins with an individual commitment. To be sure, that commitment will be lived out in community, but it begins with a question: Do you turn to Jesus as your Lord? Do you repent of the evil you have done? You. Me. It starts with the individual. We can only be held responsible for the things that we do and that we have done. The beginning of any personal renewal is the awareness of what needs to change in the realm of the self and the commitment of the self to do it.

It is interesting that, almost by way of example, the second reading today, from the letter of James offers an example of individual responsibility. The issue of individual responsibility he offers is that of bridling the tongue. Apparently, James was connected with a congregation where there was a problem with gossip and idle vicious chatter. There are places where this is a problem. Not here, of course, but I have heard there are churches where there are such problems. Likening the tongue to an untamed wild animal, James goes on to critique those who bless the Lord with their tongues on Sunday and then curse those who are made in God’s image on Monday afternoon. Makes one wonder about the depth and honesty of such persons worship, doesn’t it?
If you are around someone who has such a character flaw, there are some things you can do to prevent it. Walk away. If see such a person approaching you, turn to another place. That is called avoiding an occasion of sin. If you are given a nasty piece of gossip, counter act it by offering a gesture of praise for the person maligned.

It is such examples that remind us of the changes which we can make, as individuals, to renew our covenant with God. Something to think about. Perhaps we might even call them, dare I say it, words of Wisdom?