Divine Wisdom

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SERMON:  May 26, 2013  Trinity Sunday   “Divine Wisdom”

Icon:  Holy Wisdom

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15   

The Rev. Laura Adelia  (Sermon given at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Casa Grande, AZ.)

“In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit”  Amen.

Good morning everyone!  It’s another lovely day here at St Peter’s! 

There was a commercial on TV many years ago, jazz musician Miles Davis was playing his trumpet.  Then he stops, and says, “I’ll play it first, and tell you about it later…”.  

Now, if this makes perfect sense to you, you are probably more “right brained”!   If not, you are probably more “left brained”!

I am sure many of you have heard of the right brain – left brain theory.   It theorizes that each side of our brains uses different aspects of thought.  And for each of us, one side tends to be more dominant. 

For example, our “left brain” is the side of our brain that utilizes logic, numbers, planning, and analytical reasoning.   The left brain tends to be more linear and literal in thought.   So if you are one of those people that relates more to thinking in this way, then you are probably more “left brained”. 

The “right brain” on the other hand is the side of our brains that utilizes intuition, creativity, the arts, emotions, spontaneity, thinking in metaphors and symbols, more non-linear thought and images and expressions. 

So, if you are an artsy person, creative, and or tend to think more in circles rather than lines, you are probably more “right brained”!

Let’s take a poll here.  How many relate to being more left brained?   And how many relate to being more right brained?

Both sides of our brains of course, are important and needed!  But isn’t it amazing how musicians improvise, or solo?  How artists create, how writers write stories, how inventors invent, how people envision, and so forth?   

Today is Trinity Sunday, which celebrates the doctrine of the Trinity, the three persons or essences of God.

The Trinity is one of the most fascinating and yet controversial of Christian dogmas.  It can be very difficult to fully understand ‘three in one and one in three’.  In many ways, the Trinity is a mystery. 

Many a theologian over the millennia have tried to understand and explain it.   Boatloads of books have been written about it, and still it is a mystery!

There is a story about St. Thomas Aquinas, Scholastic theologian from the Middle Ages, who wrote “Summa Theologica” and volumes of theology.  And what happened to him when he was near his time of passing?  He had a flash of insight…and in a moment he understood but could not explain it.  And commenting on all his life’s’ volumes theological writings, he said, “it’s all straw”!  

Perhaps it is because theologians especially in the Western world have predominantly used analytical and intellectual, left brain thought. 

But what if we looked at the Trinity with our “right brain”?   Our artistic, creative, non-linear intuitive side?

A whole new world opens up!

Well, I was going to bring in my icon of Toitza, which means ‘Trinity’ in Russian.  But I accidentally left it at home…it is sitting on my kitchen counter.  Sigh.  Oh well. 

OK, so let’s do an imagination exercise…I will describe it for you.   The icon portrays three beings sitting around a table.  They are wearing robes and have their hair in a pony tail braid.  You may have seen this icon before, it is pretty well known.  It was painted in the 14^th century.

Troitza (Trinity) icon

This icon, like all icons, tells a story and is full of symbolism.     I had this icon on the wall in my office when I was stationed at Luke AFB for many years.  In walked another chaplain, who was of the more evangelical persuasion of Christianity.  I guess he was not familiar with icons, because as he looked at it, he commented, “What’s the deal with the three women?”

Yes, many times we see what we want to see, or hear what we want to hear.  And that’s what he saw, three women!  But it is not three women.

The Trinity icon depicts the story in Genesis where three angels visited Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre.  But this icon is often interpreted and thus named, the 'Holy Trinity'. 

Of the three persons of the Trinity, it seems God as Father and God as the Son get top billing.   But the Holy Spirit kind gets put on the back burner.

Perhaps it is because our society and culture tends to emphasize the “left brain”, or perhaps concepts of God as Father and the God the Son are more tangible…and easier to relate to?    The Holy Spirit on the other hand, is well, out there!  It has no form.  It’s vague.    It’s mysterious.

Are you a Holy Spirit person? I confess, I like the Holy Spirit!  With its free form ambiguity and mysteriousness.   The Spirit can’t be put in a box, or controlled.  It goes where it will…

Now, in the book of Proverbs that we heard read this morning focuses on the Holy Spirit, but personified as “Wisdom”. 

Sophia

Interestingly Proverbs presents Divine Wisdom as feminine in form.  She is known as “Chokhma” or “Hokhma” in Hebrew.   In Greek, we know her as “Sophia”.  Wisdom.  Holy Wisdom.

Divine Wisdom calls to us…and tells us to “get wisdom”!!

And who does not want wisdom?    But we just can’t go and get it so easily!  It can’t be learned from reading a book or taking a class.  It seems to be associated though, with the school of hard knocks!  Life experience.

Humility and listening cultivates holy wisdom.  In a world where the superficial tends to be emphasized, with the biggest, the fastest, and attention seeking behaviors… Good Lord help us!  We need wisdom! 

For ancient Israelites, wisdom was one of the top virtues, alongside kindness.  King Solomon was said to be very wise.  How did Solomon become wise? 

He asked God! 

When Solomon became king, he prayed to God to grant him wisdom so he could rule his people well and wisely.  It was said that God was pleased with this, as Solomon’s request was selfless.  Thus God granted him wisdom.

And Jesus says to his disciples in John, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you…”

Every one of us has the spark of Divine Wisdom in our souls.  Whether we call it Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Truth, or Divine Wisdom….We can feel it, and hear it…and know it….if we pay close enough attention.

It’s the “still small voice”, so easily squelched out by life’s busy-ness and noisy-ness.  And we do live in a fast paced and noisy world, don’t we?

On this three day weekend, this Memorial Day weekend…where we pause to reflect and remember…and honor those who gave all…  amid the noise and busy-ness…the picnics and barbeques and gatherings with family and friends… 

Let us pause to listen….  Is God perhaps trying to tell you something?

Are we listening?

“Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens…” 

Amen.