Message: “Stumbling Stones” from Ruth Campbell

Related Topics: acceptance, self-control, spiritual direction, wisdom | More Messages from Ruth Campbell

From Series: "Ancient Life Hacks "

A stitch in time saves nine. Fortune favors the bold. Look before you leap… we are all familiar with proverbs. They are pithy observations, warnings, and exhortations that provide advice on how to live wisely—in ways that generally lead to happiness and health. Every culture has its own proverbs, and many exist in more than one language. But the Bible’s Book of Proverbs is more than a collection of commonplace truisms. It is deeply theological. Wisdom in Proverbs begins with a relationship with God and is grounded on understanding our place and purpose in the universe. While individual proverbs contain a slice of reality, they only ever tell a partial truth. Life is full of contradictions and ambiguities, and there is mystery to life that can never be reduced to a single sentence. The Book of Proverbs draws from the tradition of Solomon, as well as other wise characters such as Agur, King Lemuel, and the ancient Egyptian Amenemope. It mixes folk wisdom and courtly training passed down through the centuries to present a definitive choice: live according to the way of wisdom or the way of folly. At the start of this new year, we will consider the challenge to heed the call of Lady Wisdom and dine with her. To enter into the flow of God’s wisdom that permeates every aspect of creation. Not because everything in life will necessarily become easier for us (although it might!), but because to live wisely is to draw closer to Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).