Wisdom

Wisdom is silent unless someone is listening.
I find a modern phenomenon confusing.  Two parties are talking.  One side does not have the experience, expertise, or knowledge of the other.  Yet, these facts do not change the nature of the combative dialogue.  It is as if the battle is more important than the conversation.  Individuals fight for supremacy, even when both are on the same side!  It does not make any sense.  Why do we naturally slip into a contest when there is does not matter which party is right?  Has the world become so competitive that nothing except winning, being superior, and being “right” matters?  Is the self always more important than the other?
I wish I did not see myself in a mirror as a puzzle over this behavior.  I fall into the trap as easily as the next person.  It is as if I do not want to listen, I merely want to spar.  I am not interested in growing.  I want to be on top!  The cycle should, must be broken.
The one benefit of spending a lot of time on planes and in being alone is that there is time to reflect.  I have time to prioritize and shape my response to the world around me.  I can make a choice differently than I have in the past!  I can choose to listen in order to talk.  I can go into a discussion with a goal of learning first, teaching second.  I can let the Spirit guide and instruct, giving way to a God of More.
Today I find myself yearning for wisdom.  There is far more that I do not know than what I do.  When the prophet reminds me that as a “fellow Israelites, [I should] listen carefully to these words” (Acts 2.22a), I know I am hearing wisdom.  The only question I need to wrestle with is my actions and choices in the moment at hand.  Wisdom is close to each heart.  Turning towards it with an open mind will change everything.  This window is available to all.