The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany

Proper 15, August 16, 2009

Gracious and loving God, incline our hearts to seek your wisdom, to experience the connectedness of all life that Jesus came to reveal, so that we might truly enter into this life that you have created for us, and taste of its delight. Help us to see this world as you created it to be and learn from it as we continue to grow in becoming the people you have called us to be. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

When I was a very young adult in college, I smoked cigarettes. In fact it was Bob asking my sister Juddi in a philosophy class for a cigarette that began our relationship. Back then we could smoke anywhere: in college classrooms (in fact the professors smoked as they gave their lectures). We could smoke in movie theaters while watching the movie, anywhere in a restaurant, in hospitals, in people's homes, everywhere. Juddi and I have talked in amazement about this, being non-smokers now for many years. We realize how absolutely unconscious we were in this behavior, because it had to have been so offensive to non-smokers. We were just oblivious of that fact. It's kind of ironic that Bob and I met by his asking Juddi for a cigarette in a philosophy class, because the word "philosophy" comes from the Greek, "Philo" "Sophia," which means "lover of wisdom."

What is it to have wisdom? Well, first of all it is definitely something we should want and that we should seek. It is the treasure beyond all treasures in this life. The Bible maintains that no amount of wealth, riches, anything we could possibly obtain can compare to having wisdom. The last verse of our Psalm today says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; those who act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures forever." Translate that word "fear" to "awe" and we have a better understanding of what the psalmist meant. Awe of God is definitely at the heart of wisdom. Many people believe that only age can give a person wisdom, but there are many older people who do not have this gift, because that is not something that they have ever desired or sought. On the other hand, it is true that our experiences in life will teach us wisdom if we are attentive and desire it.

Many people may equate wisdom with knowing a lot of things, having an advanced education and having a lot of facts at one's disposal. Many people only understand the meaning of "knowledge" in this limited way. But even being a genius does not make one wise. Not at all! To have a fine education and to know a lot of facts is very impressive and can feel very empowering. I often marvel at the brilliance of some people, and it is a wonderful thing they possess; it is a wonderful gift. But wisdom is something entirely different.

When Paul told the Ephesians to "Be careful how you live, not as unwise people but as wise," this admonition indicates that wisdom is available to all who desire it, and to all who seek it. People of wisdom see beyond facts; they have a deeper and clearer perception. Wise people are not cynical. They have come to see the goodness of life and the goodness of God in a world that others see as random, dangerous, evil and some would even say is hopelessly lost. The facts are certainly there to support that view. In order to have wisdom courage and humility are required. It takes courage and humility to be open enough to acquire this way of perceiving. It takes an open heart to experience awe and wonder at the deep connectedness of all things. But to open our hearts often takes courage, especially if our hearts have been wounded. To be a person of wisdom is to be in correct relationship with God, understanding our place in the scheme of things. When we perceive the connectedness of all of life, we understand God as close and intimate in all of life. In fact some theologians understand the Holy Spirit to be equated with Sophia, the Greek word for wisdom. When we are full of the Spirit of God we are full of the wisdom of God.

And the Spirit of God moves in and through all things. Our task, our seeking is to become open to this and to become aware of this. This is ultimately what wisdom is: awareness, deep attentiveness and awareness. With this kind of attentiveness and awareness we come to understand that what we do to another, or to any part of creation, we actual do to ourselves! All of creation is connected!

That is why I said it is ironic when Bob and Juddi and I smoked in a philosophy class; philosophy meaning, "lover of wisdom." Because what we were doing was acting without awareness, with out consciousness. We were unaware and uncaring of the offense we were inflicting on others. When one lives this way in the world they are living from an egocentric place. To be wise is to give up being egocentric. It is to embrace self-giving. That is what Jesus was trying to say when he said that he was "the bread of life."

Surely most of us have become aware that when we eat something, we are eating the life of another, whether it is the life of an animal or the life of a plant. Something has to give up life for us to have life. Jesus was giving up His life for us in order for us to have life, and unlike other animals or plants, He did it willingly. He was expressing the ultimate of self-giving love. Those who took offense at what Jesus was saying about his being "the bread of life" were hearing Him only from a literal level, and this literal level is where many people remain all their lives in their understanding. Only what can be seen, touched and proven is real or has any meaning for them. But Jesus was inviting them to be open to a different reality, one that is deeper, more meaningful, and more real. The Eucharist invites us to be open and aware of this deeper reality, the real presence of God in all this connected life. When we eat the bread and wine of the Eucharist, do we realize we are taking the very presence of God into ourselves?

That is what we mean by the full and complete presence of Jesus in the consecrated bread and wine. Jesus, in giving his life for us, was revealing this deep understanding. God created all life to be connected, and so what you give to others, you give to yourself. Jesus willingly gave his life to the world and in so doing has resurrected, eternal life. We are invited to eat and drink of Jesus' self-giving love, and then go out into the world with the same attitude of Jesus, that is, with a new and increased awareness or consciousness. One of the things that this increased awareness will teach us, is that those we think of as "bad" or "cruel" or "immoral" are ultimately deeply unconscious. When we ourselves do wrong or offensive things, we are possibly doing so from wounds inflicted on us, but also from an unconscious state of the true reality of things.

But humans don't have to remain in that state of unconsciousness. God delights when we seek wisdom, because our greatest task and goal in this world is to become fully aware, to become fully conscious. We are invited to drink and eat of the full love of Jesus and become part of His resurrected body. Having received this life giving food we are now to be Christ in the world. Paul said, we are now not to live as unwise people, but as wise. We are to seek wisdom with all of our hearts, souls and bodies. That is, we are to be fully and deeply connected with all life. What a sad thing it is for a human being to leave this world, striving for things that will not last and that keep one in an unconscious, egocentric and wounded state, never having tasted and experienced the beauty and awesome connectedness and goodness of life. When we are fully connected to the life God created, understanding, compassion, and love are the only response possible. Amen.