The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
But where shall wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
(Humanity) does not know the way to it; It is not found in the land of the living.
The deep says, “It is not in me”; the sea says, "It is not with me…”
Whence then comes wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
It is hidden from the eyes of all living; And concealed from the birds of the air.
Destruction and Death say: “We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.” Job 28:12-14, 20-22
What have Job, Agur (a writer of proverbs), Ecclesiastes discovered in their search? They have discovered that the existence of the world is a mysterious fact. Referring not to miracles or startling phenomena, but to the natural order of things, they insist that the world of the known is a world unknown; hiddenness, mystery. What stirred their souls was neither the hidden nor the apparent, but the hidden in the apparent; not the order but the mystery of the order that prevails in the universe.
In all of this talk of mystery I simply want to say “look again.” Look again at what is all about us…and begin to see our souls stirred up to the point of amazement or adoration or praise. Part of the wonderful aspects of our daily lives is that we are given many opportunities to “look again” at what so often only receives a glance…as though it is too common…too ordinary…to even give a second glace. And yet, consider your hands as you sit and read this…their movement…the individual appearance of each finger and the uniform appearance of all the fingers together. And then…the ability to move and hammer out letters on the keyboard…the lines that make your hand distinctive…and yet the shape of fingers that look so much like others in your family. We could keep going on and on within the realm of mystery and wonder without leaving our own hands! Within the ordinary and common come the great mysteries of life that often help us to simply throw up our hands in praise of God.
Connection: My bet is that it would not take any of us very long to be caught at the end of all the wisdom we claim to posses…to then begin to enter into that which is present in, with, and under the actions and things that fill our day. What hidden piece of the everyday stuff of this day will be revealed to you along the journey you will travel today?
Creator of All, we are amazed at the wonder of your creation. As we meander through this day, give us ears to hear again what we call the usual and the same sounds of our day…give us eyes to see the same old same old…again. Praise to you O God, Most High, Creator of the Universe. Amen
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