Deborah Laforet Proverbs
8:22-36 & 9:1-6
August 28, 2005 Sirach 51:13-30
The Wisdom of God
Last year, I was part of a pilot program as a part of my studies with the Centre for Christian Studies. It was a spiritual direction program. An anonymous donor gave a donation to the school so they could run this program. The donor also gave bursaries to those students who would need assistance to take part in the program. This donor saw spiritual direction as an important aspect of ministry.
The requirements of the program were for me to see a spiritual director in my own area at least once a month, and then to go on a two-day silent retreat in October and May. I was very excited about the program and I looked forward to seeing what spiritual direction would be like. I never guessed the breakthroughs that I would make.
We were to meet our spiritual directors with a goal. I didn’t have to think too long about my goal. Even though I felt this strong calling in ministry, I didn’t feel I had much of a connection with God. I had trouble praying. I had trouble expressing my faith. I have always believed in God, but it has always been more in my head, and not in my heart. I wanted to be able to feel God. I wanted to feel that God was listening to my prayers. For some reason, there was a wall between God and me.
I did a lot of talking with my spiritual director. I ended up talking a lot about my childhood and growing up. It just simply amazes me how your childhood relationships can affect your adult relationships and even your relationship with God. I began to learn why there was a wall, or more accurately, why I had put up this wall. By the end of October, I was ready for the silent retreat. I was ready to sit with God and to work at this connection.
The retreat was at a Benedictine convent, which has a beautiful chapel. It is where I spent most of my time. Amazingly enough, it wasn’t occupied very often. I was mostly alone. I knelt and I prayed. I asked God what it was that I needed to do. What did God need from me? I received an image. My eyes were closed, but I saw Jesus kneel before me and ask me, “What do you need from me?” The question shocked me to my core. I had never thought to ask that question. The question kind of turned my thoughts upside down. Not, what does God need from me, but what is it that I need from God?
My reflections now had a new focus. What did I need? I thought and thought about this. Now, during my retreat, although a silent retreat, we met with a spiritual guide for a half hour each day. Our meetings were in the Sophia room. When I went to my meeting that day, something clicked when I saw the word Sophia. I recognized the name. Sophia is a Greek word for wisdom and is also a word used for God. All of a sudden, it felt right. This is why I was having such a difficult time connecting to God.
All my life, God has always carried male images. The Bible is full of different images of God, but throughout my life, God had mostly been referred to as Him or He, or Father, or Mighty Warrior. I had learned through school how important it was to use inclusive language. I had learned that the images we have of God carry a lot of weight. I guess I didn’t realize how they affected me until that moment. Unfortunately, my life has consisted of men who have caused a lot of pain. I know that not all men cause pain. I have a wonderful partner and two wonderful boys to prove it. The men from my childhood held a lot of power though and they are not easy to erase. I needed to use a different image of God, or the wall would not come down. At this time in my life, a male image of God was too painful. So, I discovered Sophia.
This morning, I’d like to share this discovery with you. I would like to share with you some of what I have learned about Sophia. To share all that I have learned, we would be here all day, but I will share with you what I can and leave it up to you if you would like to explore further.
Our first scripture reading today was from Proverbs. This is where we are introduced to Sophia in scriptures. She is introduced as Woman Wisdom. She is actually the only female personification of God used in the Bible. An article I read last winter helped me to understand her more. The article is from the book, Reimagining God, by Johanna W.H. van Wijk-Bos. In chapter seven of her book, “The Paths of Wisdom,” she answers four questions: Who is Sophia? What is Wisdom? Who is Woman Wisdom? Is Woman Wisdom God?
So, the first question is, who is Sophia? As I have already stated, Sophia is the Greek word for wisdom. She is a female figure written about in Proverbs and Job 28. She is also written of in the Apocrypha, which is a portion of the Bible mostly found in Catholic versions. The book of Sirach, which was our second scripture passage this morning, is from the Apocrypha. She is also found in the New Testament, both in the gospels and in the epistles.
Second question: What is wisdom? The wisdom literature of the Bible is a list of sayings that were used to educate young people, particularly young men. Wisdom literature was the “ought” and the “is” of life. It taught what ought to be done in life and what ought to be avoided. An example of a wisdom saying is from Proverbs 10, verse 12: “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.”
So, now that I have briefly described Sophia and Wisdom literature, who is this Woman Wisdom? The description we get from the Bible is that she was the firstborn. She was present before anything was made. She was conceived by God. She is also seen as a mediator. She is God’s delight and her delight is humanity. She is described as spreading a banquet. She welcomes everyone to her table and says, “Eat and drink of me and live.” She is also seen as a purveyor of justice and an educator. All of these traits are similar to another person we read about in our Christian Scriptures. In early Christian times, Jesus was seen as the incarnation of Sophia.
Is Woman Wisdom God? This is the final question posed. I think it depends on who you ask. Woman Wisdom is used as a personification of an element of God. She is the wisdom of God. At one time, the image of Sophia was used more often. In 1 Corinthians, it is written that it was “Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God,” or Sophia from God. There was a time when people believed that, “In the beginning there was Wisdom, and Wisdom was with God, and Wisdom was God. She was in the beginning with God.” This was soon changed to the Greek word Logos, which is a male image, and means Word. Jesus was thus the Word of God.
A quote I would like to share with you from this article is this: “Woman Wisdom was interpreted and reinterpreted and finally became co-opted and forgotten by the patriarchal voices of tradition. She whose voice was raised with such authority was finally silenced. As she was silenced, women’s voices, perhaps once a part in the articulation of her essence, disappeared as well. Today, women’s voices sound with a new clarity and authority. It is then, not so surprising that Sophia is receiving new honour in this process.”
Women’s voices
are becoming stronger and they are looking for a God they can identify
with. Some can identify with Sophia,
with Woman Wisdom. We must remember
though that this is only one image of God.
As is written in the
We all carry with us different images of God. I have shared with you one that has helped free my spirit and enable me to connect with God. Each one of you will carry a different image. Each one of you will connect with God in a different way.
I would like to
leave you with a blessing that I learned from my instructor in school. He learned the blessing at an event in 1993 marking the mid point of the Ecumenical Decade
of Churches in Solidarity with Women.
Originally, though, it was adapted from a Hawaiian chant.
Oh Sophia
Dream the Vision
Share the Wisdom
Dwelling deep within.
Amen.