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Learning Curve
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16 August 2009 Automaker Henry Ford asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repair crew couldn’t find the problem. So Ford called Steinmetz. Steinmetz tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life...and Steinmetz billed the notoriously tightfisted Ford $10,000 for his efforts. Steinmetz’s bill was not unchallenged. Why, Ford wanted to know, was it so high? Steinmetz’s reply: For tinkering with the generators, $10. For knowing where to tinker, $9,990. Steinmetz may not have been a stand-in for the biblical king Solomon, but at least in that instance, he displayed one of the characteristics of wisdom: the recognition that knowledge alone is not enough–knowledge needs to be applied appropriately and judiciously to the situation at hand. At the moment, that fundamental wisdom seems to be in short supply–so I found it especially ironic that as this last week closed out with spurious talk of ‘death panels’ and euthanasia, our Sunday bulletin cover is titled Wisdom Quest. How ironic that as this week closed out not with reasoned discourse but with shout-downs of elected leaders, this new week begins with the story that lays the foundations for king Solomon’s legendary wisdom. How ironic...and how fitting to be reminded of our need to turn to God for wisdom, to turn to God for the ability to discern between good and evil in the course of making decisions, whether personal or governmental. How ironic; how timely. And how grounded in our faith. Our scripture today is a story about king Solomon–at best, an unlikely heir to David’s throne. Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David, ascend the throne on merit. The pattern changes when Solomon succeeds his father, David. Even then, the succession is thanks to court intrigue at the hands of Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan. As Machiavellian as contemporary politics can be, we do well to remember that biblical faith is forged in the crucible that calls the community to discern between good and evil in the exercise of power. That discernment is held in the light of the greater calling to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. So what do we learn from the text before us? The first thing we learn is that conflicted dynamics – interpersonal and/or political – do not excuse us from our responsibilities. And incidentally, inexperience does not excuse us from those responsibilities; the 20-something Solomon is testimony to that. Second, we ask for God’s guidance and the gift of wisdom. So the first learning: responsibilities within the context of the current realities–even when the reality is conflicted. Sound familiar? If we read just the headlines either on the internet or in print; if we catch just the news summary for the week, it would be hard to miss the hype and hyperbole raging around the issue of health care. Fear-mongering and irresponsible hyperbole from all corners aside, there is no reason believe that people of good will in this country cannot provide affordable health care for its citizens. The fact that the issue is messy, the reality that interest groups are manipulating the media and their constituencies does not excuse us from actively supporting the basic goal of nationally-affordable health care. One of the tragedies of the past decade has been the extreme polarization we have seen in the political arena. A whole generation of lawmakers have come of age without the experience of genuine bi-partisan respect and cooperation. I wish I could say this has been limited only to politics. But polarization impacts the church as well. Denominations across the spectrum struggle with issues ranging from so-called biblical literalism to sexuality and the ordination of women to evolution. Local congregations are not immune and diversity is often a casualty of the push to some ideal of purity. Then the wisdom for which we pray becomes even more elusive, sometimes affecting even our interpersonal relationships within the local congregation. Part of our responsibility as individual members of the Body of Christ is not only to hear one another with respect, but also to share respectfully with the Body and with each other the perspectives we each bring. Let me be clear: we each are made in the image of God, and therefore each voice, each perspective, each individual matters. Paul used the analogy of the body. Without the eye, how can one see? Without the foot, how can o ne move forward? Each part is essential–essential–to the whole. We simply can’t live, cant function, as a collection only of eyes or only of feet. My own foot is clear testimony to the importance of both! No matter how often my eyes watch out for my feet, they will never able to do the walking. The second learning: we ask for God’s guidance and the gift of wisdom. Solomon was the child of rape or an adulterous affair, depending on how you read the story. His upbringing was in a family that defined dysfunctional. His path to the throne was questionable. His biography to that point is hardly singular; certainly his life wasn’t a cakewalk. But as newly-crowned king, Solomon turns to God and asks for wisdom, for the ability to distinguish between good and evil, for the will to follow God’s leadings. As children of that same God, faced with responsibilities unique to us personally and unique to us within this communion, we also can choose to turn Godward for the wisdom and discernment we need. God is still speaking, and we hear God’s voice more clearly when we open ourselves to God’s direction. May we, in the face of conflicted realities, in the face of our daily challenges, open our hearts to God’s leadings. |