Wisdom and creation Sir 27:4-7; Ps 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16; 1 Cor 15:54-58; Lk 6:39-45 There is a genre of literature in the Bible, and throughout the ancient Near East that biblical scholars call “wisdom.” Our Old Testament reading is from a wisdom book called Sirach, and our Gospel today shows influence from this type of literature, as well. Many scholars suggest that there are essentially two types of wisdom literature. The first type has a strong pedagogical tone. Its purpose is to instruct its reader on how to lead a successful and happy life. These lessons are done largely through sayings or proverbs, which are commonly didactic or cautionary in tone. Proverbs is most associated with this type of wisdom literature, but the passage from Sirach today is also part of this tradition. The other tradition of wisdom literature is more reflective and can sometimes be skeptical in tone. In this type of literature, the presupposed order of the world is reflected on and often brought into question. The books of Job and Ecclesiastes fall into this category. At first glance, much of the wisdom literature seems out of place in the Old Testament. The usual themes and characters, like the Exodus and Moses, or Jerusalem and the Temple, do not appear until the much later wisdom writings of Sirach and Solomon. However, biblical wisdom literature is very much enmeshed in Israelite thought and culture. In her book “The Wisdom Literature: Message of Biblical Spirituality,” Kathleen M. O’Connor refers to the spirituality of wisdom literature as “the spirituality of the marketplace.” She chooses this metaphor because the marketplace (“the city gate”) represents a large facet of life in the ancient world. It was an important place where people gathered and business was attended to. This is also where the heart of wisdom literature lives. Wisdom literature situates divine-human encounter in the small (and sometimes not so small) moments of daily life. Everything from relationships to proper table manners and gossip take center stage in wisdom literature’s profound search for the place of humans in the world. It teaches us that God and the world are intertwined, and that life is more than “stuff that happens.” It reminds us that we can discover God not just in our places of worship, but also in our daily lives. Wisdom literature could offer some important insights in this time of ecological crisis. In her book “Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs,” Ellen Davis notes that the modern person has lost touch with his or her ability to contemplate the world. Many of the technological advances we have achieved are more destructive to the planet than helpful because they were not created by a disciplined and discerning understanding of the world. Wisdom literature could possibly help us address these issues for two reasons, which are tied together. The first being that they are contemplative works. They encourage us to contemplate ourselves, our lives and our relationships with each other and God. It is a profoundly relational type of literature. Secondly, these books also encourage us to contemplate creation and are filled with reflections about nature and the intricate order of the created world. The wisdom writers attempted to understand our place in the world in connection with nonhuman creation and our relationship with God. This is an important scriptural perspective that has its roots in Genesis but is often overlooked or grossly misunderstood. Increased focus on the self and on the desires of the individual in the modern world has impeded many people’s abilities to contemplate themselves in relation to others and to the world. Christians often turn to the first few chapters of Genesis for guidance as far as nature is concerned, but these are not the only biblical texts that offer us insights into the created world. Perhaps these insights from wisdom literature can help us to better contemplate our actions and how they affect both our human and nonhuman families. The Gospel of Luke that we have been studying these past few weeks has strong wisdom influences. This fits perfectly with its incarnational theology, which sees God present in all facets of our human lives. Where are some places that you see God present in your daily life? What lessons do you learn when you contemplate the created world around you?
About the Author Kate Oxsen is an assistant professor of Old Testament studies at Catholic Theological Union.