Today I'm starting a new thing. Ok, ok, so it's not so new to many of you. But the blogosphere is a fresh new adventure to me. Welcome to my inner world!
I recently took a few days of study leave. I did some reading and attended a lecture series on "Finding Wisdom in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes". Dr. Amy Pauw, a Professor of Theology at Louisville Seminary, was the speaker. Great presentations!
Prior to this, I had mentioned to one of the ladies in my church that I was going to be reading Ecclesiastes and I got a groan and an "Oh, that book." I wish I would have followed up on the meaning behind her words, but I was on my way to another place. How often do we miss out because we're too busy to stop for awhile? For me, more often than I'd like.
I wonder if her feelings about Ecclesiastes was because women have gotten a bad rap from some folks' interpretation of a certain passage in Ecclesiastes. Chapter 7, verse 28 seems to imply that there were no wise/good/upright women to be found when the teacher in Ecclesiates was searching for wisdom. What people have missed is the bigger picture. In Proverbs, another wisdom book, "wisdom" is personified as a woman. Proverbs tells us she - woman wisdom - can be found. In fact, she is to be found. We should be seeking her out and listening to her. The tone of Proverbs is upbeat. But the tone of Ecclesiastes is much different. The teacher/author of Ecclesiastes searches all over for wisdom...and wisdom can't be found. The teacher in Ecclesiastes was not able to find woman wisdom.
Some days it feels like wisdom is right here by my side. Some days she just seems to allude me.
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