Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:
“To you, O people, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.
Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
–Proverbs 8:1-6
The summer before my junior year of high school, I joined a church-sponsored bike ride through the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest. For one glorious week, 18 high school students and three adults pedaled around the islands, stood on the deck of ferries as the wind whipped through our hair, and struggled to eat enough calories to keep us fueled. The highlight of the trip was biking up Mount Constitution, the second highest mountain on an island in the United States. Familiar with the flat roads we had enjoyed for most of the trip, my legs ached as I neared the top.
“Come on! You have to see this!” my friend called to me. She had just arrived at the summit and was clearly excited. Her words brought renewed energy as I pushed to the top where she stood, still panting from the long climb. “Look at that!” she said, pointing to the view. Below me, I could see the road I had just ascended, then Cascade Lake beyond, and finally dozens of islands for as far as I could see.
When someone calls out to us, it’s often because they want to share something important with us. My friend’s excitement was contagious; she wanted to share the beauty she had discovered, and from the sound of her voice, I knew that the climb was going to be worth it.
In Proverbs 8, we read that wisdom personified calls out. She takes her place by the gate into the city where she is certain to be noticed, and she raises her voice as she proclaims, “Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say.” (Proverbs 8:6)
I am encouraged by the location where wisdom is found in this chapter. The gate to the city was accessible to all. Whether someone was young or old, poor or privileged, wise or naïve, the gate was their access to the city. It was common ground.
Wisdom isn’t found only in the synagogue or local church. It isn’t just for the devout. Wisdom is for ordinary people; it is available in the most common places. Wisdom comes to us, calling out with the good news that the wisdom of God is relevant to all!
—Kathy McMillan is director for Employee Spiritual Care at Loma Linda University Medical Center.