“Wise conversation is way over the head of fools; in a serious discussion they haven’t a clue.” Proverbs 24:7
In the last few weeks I’ve been in a variety of conversations about really important life topics:
The refugee crisis…
The peace teachings of Jesus…
The direction of our school’s educational curriculum…
Politics…
The economic future…
Mindfulness…
The transgender debate…
Universalism…
Every conversation has challenged me, but every conversation has also confused me.
Where do I stand on such issues?
What do I believe?
What does the Bible have to say?
Should I have a ready response?
Then yesterday happened.
I was sitting at a table in the corner of a deli where my book club assembles. One of the guys brought up what it means to pilgrimage in fellowship and I instantly felt my back stiffen as I prepared myself for yet another deep discussion.
To be honest, my brain just wanted to talk about cotton candy and puppies. A deep theological debate was the last thing I wanted to engage in, but that’s when someone said the most wise thing I had heard in two long weeks of important conversation:
“I don’t know.”
I looked up to see a dozen heads nodding up and down and instantly felt my body relax in agreement. Here were a dozen deeply insightful and highly educated people unanimously agreeing that it’s okay to not know.
That’s when this verse became a light bulb.
Perhaps not having a clue IS the point. Perhaps wisdom is found in admitting where our limitations end and where God’s liberation begins. Perhaps “I don’t know” is the most intelligible thing we can conclude because it evokes wonder, curiosity, surrender and relief that we don’t have to have it all figured out. Perhaps wrestling to understand IS the dependency He desires and longs to have with each one of us.
Wise conversation is way over the heads of fools because fools are too busy formulating opinions, answers and conclusions to realize that it’s in the surrendering of such things that true fear of the Lord can be found.
But then again, I don’t know…
