wise words
There’s a Great Horned owl that has recently frequented our neighborhood in the evenings. Western folklore, considers the owl a wise, silent and solitary bird of prey. but when I see this bird, I am reminded of one word: Wisdom. As it perches on the branches, silhouetted against the shadow of the sky, it sits waiting patiently, observing and attuned to its surroundings before it dives into the night to hunt for its prey.
We have wisdom teeth, great philosophers like Socrates, Magi or wise men from the bible, sages, Buddha and shamans; not to mention Elders, in the church, with Indigenous Peoples and throughout many cultures in the world. Old age is often honored, celebrated and respected and people search for and seek out those who possess wisdom. I watched a news clip the other night of a woman who was celebrating her 100th birthday. I had to chuckle, because when the reporter asked her what advice - or wisdom - she had for others, the aged woman replied, “Keep breathing.” We have access to inspirational quotes on social media giving advice and motivation. Even though we know that wisdom is perceived differently across cultures, one fact remains; it is desirable and has positive characteristics. How can we begin to even measure it?
Recently, Penn State University attempted to answer that very question. They discovered many factors that contributed to people’s perception of wisdom. Kind, joyful, optimistic, strong, concrete, respected were to name a few characteristics, but three remained dominant over all. They were charismatic, goal-oriented and unconventional. Basically, wisdom is desirable and has positive characteristics. Who wouldn’t want to be considered wise?
Sapience, intuitive or discerning knowledge, is at the heart of every religion. The bible has a number of books of wisdom including Proverbs and King Solomon’s thoughts in Ecclesiastes. In the New Testament, the book of James, Paul shares from James 1:5, NIV: "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."
And so, all we need to do is ask. Wise words indeed.