Wising up

I received a letter recently from a person whose mother's life had spanned a century. It reminded me of two Christian Scientists. Both lived into their nineties. Each one over a period of years had become a close friend to me. They had much in common. Both were understanding and compassionate with people trying to sort out life's problems.

Both had seen tremendous change in their lives and in the world. In fact, they were much more willing to face change than many younger people were. The span of their lives stretched from horse and wagon to spaceships. They'd witnessed wars and tenuous peace. They could remember when Russia experimented with democracy before the Revolution of 1917. The United States had moved in their lifetimes from being a relatively sparsely populated nation to one of world leadership and then to the status of demoralized military power in Southeast Asia during the 1970s.

Each was interested in people, the trend of human events, and the future. Perhaps more than anything else, their lives epitomized to me the Bible counsel "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom." ^{Prov. 4:7 .}

Wisdom, however, can seem pretty elusive. You can't just decide one day to get some. And it's not as if any of us can wait until we have nearly a century's experience and observations to sort out good and evil. But wisdom isn't limited to just older folks. Even very young children can be wise. I remember a time when I was ill. One afternoon I had been praying for release and for a deeper understanding of God. I can still remember my young son's encouragement that God loved me and would help me. That afternoon did mark a turning point, and it wasn't long before I was back on my feet.

Parallel to the wisdom writer's counsel in the Bible, Mrs. Eddy wrote in Science and Health that we, too, have to work and watch for wisdom. She said this was central to life and to following Christ Jesus. And in order to understand ourselves and others, a radical reassessment of the value of wisdom in our lives may need to take place. "Take away wealth, fame, and social organizations, which weigh not one jot in the balance of God, and we get clearer views of Principle," Mrs. Eddy wrote. "Break up cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth be judged according to wisdom, and we get better views of humanity." ^{Science and Health, p. 239 .}

I can see that with my two nonagenarian friends it was this outlook in them that made their friendship and counsel so special. One taught Sunday School for at least forty years— along with a long career in the public school classroom. The other had been in the healing practice of Christian Science for half a century. Neither was what we would call wealthy. No testimonial dinners were given for them. Yet they helped scores of people over the years.

The statement from Science and Health describes their lives well. Their wisdom and the trend of their lives drew near to God and developed tremendous strength, resilience, and honesty.

Wisdom that is based on a life-embracing understanding of God's law and of the transient—even if important—nature of material things and conditions can develop great love and compassion in us. Such wisdom reveals a spiritual sense, a capacity to know what is permanent—in a few words, the reality of God and our value to Him.

This spiritual sense, this ability to know God, makes us able to come through challenges and to learn how to decide wisely what to do for ourselves and others who will, sooner or later, need foresight, patience, healing.

So, how do we do it, get wisdom, that is? Well, you can get it wherever you are, whatever you need to do. Every choice can develop wisdom. For example, what will you take into account when you consider a job, buy a car, choose between time with your family and another activity?

When you think of making a home, of opening yourself to friendship with others, of deciding to allow human intimacy to enter into your life, what will it be that weighs most heavily in your decision? Will material or spiritual factors tip the scale of your choice? Will you allow your interest in humanity, in education, in pastimes, to be limited pretty much by class boundaries, race, or the often superficial limits of popularity?

As people gain wisdom, it's not unusual if these kinds of questions come to them. There will be other questions, too. The point is, our life is more than material conditions that can almost constantly change. We can allow ourselves to go beyond the categories we're accustomed to placing ourselves in, in order to catch sight of the spiritual nature of our lives. Real wisdom helps us to judge less rashly, so we can judge more wisely. This promotes goodness instead of crushing new and often unsure trust in God.

Physical healing through scientific prayer certainly strengthens our confidence in God's saving presence. But healing doesn't stop with physical change alone. As we gain wisdom, our inquiry into Science extends beyond even the much-welcomed effect of physical healing. Healing, in a broader sense, keeps going on and causes us to pray for wisdom itself. This is the wisdom that knows God, that is drawn to understanding His law, that is open to learning how to judge worth "according to wisdom."

Not only will such wisdom develop and show us our real humanity, it will develop in us the strength and resource of being truly spiritually-minded. Then the capacity to heal and to love unselfishly will radically testify to the deeper transformation of our lives. We'll begin to see definite proof of the fact that man is worthy—we are God's child.

It can take a while sometimes before we recognize more fully the riches that such spirituality brings to life. Thank goodness, though, increasing wisdom eventually shows that we each have the natural capacity to be wise.

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war.

Ecclesiastes 9:14, 15, 17, 18