A Moment Aside ---- 24 July 2020

A Moment Aside --- 24 July 2020

Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?" It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. (1 Kings 3: 9-10)

     The first reading for this Sunday is from the third chapter of the First Book of Kings and tells of the reign of Solomon and the prayer of Solomon for wisdom to rule your great people. The passage calls such wisdom “discernment” and that certainly is a part of wisdom. To discern means to judge well and to go beyond the surface appearance of things to get to the real meaning. This would be true wisdom. The ancient Church included wisdom in the “gifts of the Holy Spirit”, namely wisdom, understanding, council, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

     Wisdom is telling right from wrong, good from bad, but it is also knowing when to speak and when to keep quiet. It looks beyond simple actions to motives and intent. Wisdom helps to know what to do and when to do it.

     There is a story about the mayor of New York City back in the 1930’s, Fiorello LaGuardia, who was said (the story is unsubstantiated) to take over for the judge in the night court that dealt with petty offenses. An old woman was brought up on charges of theft of a loaf of bread to feed her sick daughter and starving grandchildren and the shopkeeper wanted her punished. The mayor said he had no choice but to find her guilty and sentence her to a $10 fine or 10 days. He then took $10 from his wallet and said the fine was paid. He then ordered that a fine of 50 cents was to be levied against everyone present for living in a town where an old woman had to steal bread to feed hungry children. The bailiff was to collect the fines and turn the money over to the old woman. As the story goes, almost $50 was collected, and all but 50 cents, which was given to the shopkeeper, was given to the woman.

     Is this story true? I don’t know… but I wish it were.

     We could all pray for wisdom in our lives. We may not be as great or wise as Solomon and we still can be wise in our own place.

     Wisdom is knowing what to say when speech is needed.

     Wisdom is knowing when to keep silent when speech could be a problem.

     Wisdom is knowing right from wrong and works to find the best of many possible right things. People rarely choose what is known as bad for them; they always choose what appears to be right to them.

     In any event, praying like Solomon for wisdom to discern what is right would be in itself a point of wisdom. Besides as Proverbs 9:10 says…

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.