Sophia and Satyagraha on Sept. 11, 2009
Early this morning, while waiting for the shimmering web of dreams to dissipate in my coffee, I was wandering around facebook after posting this status update:
“Kimberly is excited that the lectionary this week, in most every text, calls on Sophia. Yes, it is back to school, but more than in the classroom, Wisdom is crying out to be heard in the public square”.
I then meandered over to new friend, group, and cause requests. After accepting one friend request I perused his wall and there was Wisdom, speaking to me from the pages of facebook. On this new friend’s wall I saw the link to Ghandi’s speech delivered 103 years ago on this date.
This speech is, of course, the launch of the non-violent resistance movement that changed India, changed the world. Wisdom tells me it is significant that this speech occured on 9/11 and the Spirit urges me to look deeper to understand how. We are ourselves in a time of great unrest, with war, economic crisis, H1N1, and our churches shifting before our eyes. Rather than engage these days of dramatic change with fear and anger we are being called by Sophia to engage our most perplexing challenges with wise, agapic love that we can not muster but comes only from God.
I beseech you to read all texts that have cycled up this week – please don’t skip to the Gospel, please don’t read only Proverbs or Isaiah. Take the time to read both Proverbs 1:20-33 AND Isaiah 50:4-9. Listen deeply to Psalm 19 AND Wisdom of Solomon 7:26-8:1. Pray with James 3:1-12 and thank God for Mark 8:27-38. Sit with the texts – walk around in the texts and see where Sophia is speaking to you. Pay attention at the breakfast table, take note of slight change in temperature that harkens the great change of season, then look out into the world – listen at the street corners (you may even find her on facebook) for Sophia who is calling but is drowned out by the cacophony of our own ranting, hurling and hurtling through our days, our fears. And if we are open, as is the way with the Spirit who does not force but waits patiently for an open heart, there is the power to hear anew God word if you open the eyes of your heart, listen with the ears of your soul and allow Wisdom, Sophia, to speak to you where you are this day.
Sophia is seeking you – are you seeking Sophia?
The wisdom of God: Sophia and Christian theology -
– From Christian Century, Oct 19, 1994 by Leo D. Lefebure
One Way to Listen Deeply to Scripture - The Practice of Lectio Divina