1 Corinthians 1:18-31
A series of television commercials a few years ago featured the
punchline, “Just say you don’t know!” In each 30-second bit, a man
was asked a question, and instead of admitting he didn’t know the
answer, he strung together a guess on the fly. For some reason, my
wife laughed a little too hard every time one of these ads came on.
She would look at me and say, “Just say you don’t know!”
I got her not-so-subtle point. Her plea for a little more honesty
and humility still rings in my ears every time a question I don’t really
know enough to answer tempts me. Her words help me confront the
fact that admitting I don’t know something makes me feel vulnerable
and out of control.
But maybe this is the beginning of wisdom?
Paul calls Christ’s vulnerability and choice to surrender control and submit to death on a cross the wisdom of God (v. 24).
This sounds like the opposite of everything our world calls wisdom. We know that we need to show the world that we are living our best life to get likes and be loved, so we edit our true selves for social media. We know that the other party and their president is to blame for all of our problems, and that our side is always right, so we vilify and refuse to try to see other perspectives and work together to find solutions. Frankly, this foolishness is killing us and our communities from the inside out.
The wisdom of this world is self-preservation at all costs, but the
salvation of God is trusting in the one who made himself vulnerable
and out of control to love us. Can we let go of having to know it all
and believe in the wisdom of self-giving love?
Consider
What makes you feel out of control and vulnerable? What would it be like to trust God with that?
Pray
Wisdom of Love, there is so much that I do not know. But you know it all, even as you know me. Guide me in your way. Amen.