Religion in Daily Life

© By the Rev. Edward Chinn, D.Min.

Rector, All Saints' Church

http://www.allsaintstorresdale.org

Oscar-winner Al Pacino downed his drink. The year was 1977. Just before he had that drink, a reformed drinking pal named Charlie said to him, "Just be aware of what you're doing." Pacino recalls, "Somehow those words rang. I saw to what degree [drinking] had taken over my life. I capped the bottle. I became conscious. I was aware. It was time" (Marlo Thomas, The Right Words at the Right Time). Through Charlie's words, Al Pacino was touched by the spirit of wisdom. I think the spirit of wisdom is the spirit of God.

Our word "wisdom" came from "wis" (wise), which in turn came from the Latin "videre," to see. Wisdom means being able to see into human experiences. By wisdom, we can see the causes of things in the past, the consequences of things in the future, and the connections between things in the present. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, there is a close association between wisdom and the spirit of God. One author addressed God, "No one ever learned your will, unless you first gave him Wisdom, and sent your holy spirit down to him" (Wisdom 9:17, TEV).

Appreciating the spirit of God as wisdom opens our eyes to religion in daily life. On Saturdays Walt Disney used to take his daughters to a local park to ride the merry-go-round and to play. As Walt watched his children enjoying their rides, the spirit of wisdom gave him a flash of insight. He imagined a family park filled with happy families. On July 18, 1955, Walt opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Throughout the many writings in the Bible, the word translated "spirit" really means the wind outside us and the breath inside us. "Spirit" is a poetic symbol for God's powerful and invisible presence. How we need this "wind" from God to blow back the curtains and help us to see the possibilities around us!

If we accept that the spirit of God is the spirit of wisdom, then we can appreciate the wisdom we find in the world's religions. Justin Martyr, the second century Christian philosopher, wrote, "Christ is the Word [wisdom or reason] of whom all mankind have a share, and those who lived according to reason are Christians, even though they were classed as atheists. For example, among Greeks Socrates and Heraclitus." Likewise, the spirit gives us the insight to see the wisdom and character of God in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. As Paul said, "Nor would anyone be inclined to say, 'Jesus is Master!' without the insight of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3, The Message).