Today's PAYG is designed to confound your average Proddy, quoting as it does from Ecclessiasticus (or Sirach, or The Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach) a deutero canonical book that sits between the Old and New Testaments in some Bibles, notably those used by Catholics. The status of these books is viewed differently by various Christian traditions, and lots of Bappies freak at the thought of it - which makes me smile given how many Victorian Bappy Chapels cite parts of it (now praise we great and faithful men....) on war memorials etc.
Anyway, here's today's protion from Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 4:11 - 19
Wisdom teaches her children
and gives help to those who seek her.
Whoever loves her loves life,
and those who seek her from early morning are filled with joy.
Whoever holds her fast inherits glory,
and the Lord blesses the place she enters.
Those who serve her minister to the Holy One;
the Lord loves those who love her.
Those who obey her will judge the nations,
and all who listen to her will live secure.
If they remain faithful, they will inherit her;
their descendants will also obtain her.
For at first she will walk with them on tortuous paths;
she will bring fear and dread upon them,
and will torment them by her discipline
until she trusts them,
and she will test them with her ordinances.
Then she will come straight back to them again and gladden them,
and will reveal her secrets to them.
If they go astray she will forsake them,
and hand them over to their ruin.
Lots you could do with that passage, for sure. One option is the oft used personification of wisdom as Sophia, the third person of the Trinity, aka Holy Spirit. You could substitute Holy Spirit throughout and that would make a challenging reading!
The passage shows that wisdom does not arrive neatly packages and ready to go, it is bourne of experience - some of which is pretty rough '... at first she will walk with them on tortuous paths; she will bring fear and dread upon them, and will torment them by her discipline...' This is the bit that spoke to me as I listened this morning. Sometimes my path at present feels not only tortuous but torturous, especially in the wee small hours when I can't get comfortable enough to sleep and the drug induced mega hot flushes leave me drenched in sweat (OK TMI probably), sometimes fear and dread are my companions in the dark, but through this I am learning something and - which is vitally important - 'she will walk with' me. God's Spirit shares the journey to wisdom and is Wisdom within it.
The passage ends with a note of caution though - if you don't stick with it, wisdom (lowercase w) will leave you to face the consequences of your choices. Or should that be Wisdom? Scary stuff! Sometimes I wish it would all go away; sometimes I don't really feel much like learning in and through it, but mostly I trust that through it and in it and beyond it God is helping me grow in grace and wisdom (very small w!).
I wonder what this passage says to you?