Andy & the Gospel

What do Andy Griffith and the Gospels have in common? Why would people be interested in these two stories–or the stories within both?

I’m not sure, but it seems both tell stories that people can understand in relation to their own lives. Andy Griffith is a bit dated and goofy/funny. But most of us know people like the folks in the old comedy series. There’s Andy, the good guy with a lot of wisdom. There’s Floyd, the barber and town gossip. And, of course, there’s Barney–always trying too hard to impress folks… 

The Gospels tell stories we can all relate too. There’s wisdom to be gained, folks gossiping, people absorbed with self and preoccupied with power…trying too get it and working hard to keep it.

Both contain truth.  God uses stories to reveal truth. A new class called Andy & the Gospel began today at 9:45. Check it out!

Wisdom or Learning?…or Both

Recently I’ve been thinking about the learning process. In particular, I love learning about history. I’ve been sharing some great discussions with my son about native Americans from the context of a university course he is taking. And, I continue to learn about various Christian faith traditions through a small group study (with discussions) and series of messages.  Then, sometimes I wonder, what’s the point of knowledge or information if we’re not gaining wisdom from it?

I think I’ve gained wisdom through the conversations I just mentioned in a couple ways. First, through my discussions regarding native Americans, I am reminded of the spirituality in people–how people seek to understand our world… how people claim and seek a higher power. In the study of Christian faith traditions, I am reminded that God uses the richness of various traditions to reveal God’s self. I’m reminded that God uses people and faith traditions to correct misguided human understanding of Christ’s church. Or, God uses them to remind us of things we’ve forgotten or need to embrace anew. With Christ at the center, we can embrace the strengths of various faith traditions and understand we have much in common. We can gain collective wisdom.

In a book I recently read, In Search of Wisdom, the authors state “there is no wisdom without reflection”. They go on to state, “wisdom formation is recognizable in our ablility to cope with life’s complexities, make sensible judgments and exhibit responsible behavior. The Christian orientation to wisdom formation also includes our coming to know the qualities of God exhibited in Jesus Christ, our seeking after those qualities and spiritual values undergirding them part of our everyday sojourn in community.” They conclude by stating, “a difficulty in forming wisdom today…is compounded in this age of information oversaturation by our propensity to falsely equate wisdom with bare knowledge.” I think there is truth in what they say. And, it seems to me, in the days of limited time and lots of information, we need to be selective in our learning. Finally, isn’t wisdom best gained collaboratively with others. What do you think? Jim