Shade Tree Wisdom 8/23/11

          Please pardon me if I do not mention the Houston summer heat, the unending heat that makes people long to hear of a tropical storm entering the Gulf with its promise of rain and wind. Then it is good for us to remember these words spoken by David when he was under pressure.

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

And His ears are attentive to their cry. . .

A righteous man may have many troubles,

But the Lord delivers him from them all.

The Lord redeems His servants,

No one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned.”

Psalm 34,15.19.22

          Maybe experiencing a summer like this will wakes us up to what technology makes us lack. Because information is so cheap, we don’t pay much attention to it. Instant information allows us to bypass the years of study that leads to real expertise. It has removed the need to engage, to be curious, to learn first hand. So, even when we know exactly where we are, we don’t really know where we are.

          Some years ago Ruth and I took a bus tour through some of the western states. I remember one person on that tour had maps of the region, and he was so intent on seeing where we were on the map and that he missed the grandeur of the scenery surrounding us. He took the tour with us, but never really understood why he was doing it.

          Technology puts much knowledge at our fingertips, but forget not that knowledge is different from wisdom. Wisdom is using that knowledge and knowing just where and how it fits into life. A thoughtful think piece last Sunday bemoaned the fact that many Universities sent graduate students to teach many freshmen classes, so, the writer claimed, really cheating the freshmen out of what they were paying for. For, the writer argued, these graduates may have knowledge, but did not have the wisdom or experience to really teach usefully and make the subject viable.

          Just this morning a columnist interviewed a local business man who gets along without a cell phone. She wanted to know how he managed that. He said, “By being on time and being patient”. He doesn't like what it’s done to American civility. “Once that rings, it doesn’t matter where you are or with whom, you answer. It’s more important”. He likes the peace and freedom it brings him.

          So back to Psalm 34, “No one who takes refuge in Him shall be condemned for His ears are attentive to their cry.” For in all this hustle and hurry, God cares, and He knows and blesses His children, and that gives me peace.

GPD 8/23/11