A Note from Pastor

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Last August I started reading straight through the Bible.  If I stay on track I’ll finish on December 31st.  Right now I’ve just begun the book of Proverbs.  The first few chapters focus on the benefits and blessings of seeking the Wisdom of God.  This is contrasted with the calamity that comes from ignoring or rejecting Wisdom. 

But one particular line caught my attention.  Wisdom is pictured as a woman calling out in the midst of a noisy street scene.  “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises  her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:” (Proverbs 1:20–21, ESV)  

Living in Asia, I’m familiar with street markets. One time in Taiwan I took a wrong turn on my scooter (actually I was outright lost).  I found myself in a narrow alley which was a vegetable market.  Venders laid out their greens on worn blankets right on the pavement and people bustled back and forth buying their food for that night’s dinner.  As I moved forward people closed in behind me and soon I was stuck.  Last week also we drove past Gyeongdong Market in an older part of Seoul.  We have never been there but it looked quite bustling. 

It would be hard to hear a single voice in places like these.  It would be easily ignored or drowned out by the customers, the hawkers and the deliverymen all navigating tight spaces.  But the Word of God is a voice we need to discern and listen to even in the midst of the busyness of life.  Even with so many things calling out to us at the same time, it is vital we seek true Wisdom, and learn about true love which can only be learned from the true Savior who laid down his life for his friends.  By seeking God’s wisdom we end up avoiding enough heartache to fill a whole street market.