As this will be an intergenerational service, the reflection is very informal and meant to be accessible to children.

Congratulations to students and teachers on your first week of school – and welcome back to church, everyone! At the start of another year of learning, growth, and reconnecting, I wanted to talk about wisdom, as it is something we gain both in school and at church. Do you consider yourself wise? Can you name someone else who is wise, whom you know personally or from history, or fiction? Adults might remember Mr. Miyagi; Gandalf and Galadriel; Morgan Le Fay, Pythia and Cassandra (google them!); Hildegard of Bingen and Julian of Norwich; Solomon, Daniel, and the Wise Men. As for the kids, let’s look at some examples from the most famous school of all – Hogwarts! But first, let me ask, why do we even go to school? Yes, to grow wiser, we need to learn facts, numbers and letters… or how to cast spells… Well, maybe not that last one; I think we will stick with prayer and being kind, as that’s all we really need to make this world a magical place! Seriously though, is becoming wise all about obtaining information –  that is, “head knowledge”? Prof Dumbledore has lots of that. But, let’s have a look at the clip showing Harry’s own first day of school, and I’ll point out some characters whose wisdom is of a different sort.

[I will show the videoclip of the Sorting Hat Scene]

Did that look anything like your first day at school? Perhaps, a little: nerves and new faces; stern, yet kind teachers… just without the Sorting Hat. Wasn’t Hat being wise in its own way though, when it matched incoming students with their houses? Hat’s wisdom is grounded in understanding a deep truth about each kid – a true knowledge of their inner lives. I’d call this type of wisdom “heart knowledge”, which relies on empathy, imagination, and respect. Hermione is wise in that way, too. Wisdom is partly the ability to “truly” hear and see – perhaps, it’s for that reason that wise people and creatures are often shown to wear glasses, like Harry and Dumbledore, or have big eyes, like the Wise Old Owl in kids’ songs. And Jesus is also said to have given people back the ability to see and hear, as a way of healing by sharing his wisdom of the heart. But, there’s another kind of wisdom, yet – that of Hagrid. He is not at all what we’d call an intellectual, but his practical knowledge of creatures showed what I’d call “hand wisdom”. 

Now, in Harry himself, Hat saw courage, kindness, a strong sense of right and wrong, and a thirst to prove himself. Basically, his head, heart, and hands are all working together! The same is true for us, and that’s the kind of wisdom that Jesus shows us, and teaches us to imitate. He healed, he listened, he knew people deeply; as he also knew the history of his nation and the teachings of their sacred texts. So no, wisdom isn’t only about acing tests or mastering skills. Nor is wisdom all about becoming “great”, as the Hat said Slytherin could help Harry become, or as the people in Judea wanted Jesus to become their King. Knowledge and power can, indeed, make one “great”; but it’s up to the person whether they’d then choose darkness (as Snape did), or light. The Bible focuses greatly on this aspect of being wise, saying that, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom” (Prov 9:10-12). As such, wisdom is all about learning how to live well out of our connection with God, whose own knowledge is unlimited, and who knows each of us perfectly (e.g., Ps 139:1-4) – better than the Sorting Hat would! 

In turn, the Bible, especially the so-called “wisdom” texts such as Proverbs, teaches us to be open to learning. The first hymn we sang reminded us that it is possible to hear and learn from the wisdom of nature itself. And at church, we learn from God and others. So, let’s dedicate this coming year to growing wiser, together! For example, we’ll hear a few expert talks to give us “head wisdom” (e.g., on the prudent use of screens for kids in the fall, and the status of AI development in the winter). We’ll learn “hand wisdom” via participating in Christmas kitchen, Flemingdon Park clothing drive, teen leadership programming, and in volunteering of all kinds. And, the new “Deepening Our Faith” class and other education will help us discover “heart knowledge”.

As we grow wiser, may we also discern when and how to share our knowledge – like that man from today’s gospel who could not stay silent, and like Lady Wisdom, whom Proverbs features as a teacher and prophet. But let us also learn when it might be wiser to hold our tongues; when to show grace and when to stand up for justice; how to get to know each other more deeply; and how to practice kindness and patience. In doing so, may we continue to grow more and more into the wise, courageous people God calls us to be. Amen.

Questions to Consider

1. Recall an instance in your life when you were initially shy, hesitant, or afraid to speak up in someone’s defence, tell the truth, or share your values and beliefs -yet, you were able to overcome your reluctance. What helped you then? How did you feel? How might you ask God for help next time something like this happens?
2. In what situations or environments do you tend to “hear” God’s voice most clearly?