Wisdom of the Ancients
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- Created on Friday, 01 July 2011 01:00
- Written by Richard Chidlaw
In the back window of a car, which you are following, you may have seen the somewhat-harsh quip, "Employ a teenager today - while they still know everything." It may be the result of someone's frustration, (older people may smile at some truth in it) but largely it is unfair to most of the teenagers I have ever met. It is not the wisdom, (or lack of it) in young minds about which I want to concern myself in this article, but the wisdom which resides in older people.
De Sapientia Veterum, (The Wisdom of the Ancients), is the title of a book published by Francis Bacon in 1619, I use it to introduce two senior clergymen who have given me considerable inspiration recently: one by his most recently-published book and the other through a series of bible studies on the whole of St. John's Gospel.
A few weeks ago, David came into my place of work, (and as usual, I was on my knees date-checking the cheese), and handed me a paperback book entitled Let your faith grow. The cover shows a dark foreground and the stormy sky above is about to pour down rain. In the centre, caught by the sunlight, is the cathedral church at Gloucester. It is a painting by the author who managed to catch the dramatic moment. David has been an incumbent in this diocese for many years and, since 1983, a pastoral counsellor and tutor. This book is a distillation of his experience as priest, pastor and counsellor and is a real treasure-store of wise, practical comment. Professor Richard Whitfield, the editor, expresses his opinion of the book in these words: "This book is about the living character of faith as an observable fact of human life. Centrally, personal faith is not portrayed as a once-off acquisition of some ready-packaged creed or secular belief system. Rather seeds of faith actually grow, change and evolve through particular stages of human life. These relatively-unrecognised stages of faith are the main platform for David Bick's mature text. Facing us with fundamentals of our human character, this text provides food for the soul in all seasons of a life."
You see, I have always believed that the mature Christian has something special to offer the younger members. You cannot live all your life with Christ without having experienced something of great value, ("of Glory", older people might have said.) Sometimes, we cannot see it until we have achieved a certain maturity ourselves. The fact that our society may not regard older people as having much value, should be no guide to how Christians view those further on the pilgrimage than themselves. But, of course, it is not so simple as that. Faith does not always develop to keep up with our years. Sometimes, people are proud to have a simple child-like faith, which is fine as long as the faith one has is able to sustain one at need. Mature people usually need a mature faith. No one should feel uncomfortable about needing to develop his or her faith; it is wise to do so. David's book takes the reader through "Seven Stages of Man" - beginning with infancy. Interestingly, stages 4,5,6 and 7 are all adult phases. To be an adult christian is by no means the end!
Near the conclusion of his book, David writes: "A sound faith always gives hope, for through it we are enabled to have a vision that is greater than ourselves. We do not create this vision, but need to so discipline ourselves as to be in the right frame of mind and heart to receive it. Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The passage of scripture with which he concludes his book is 1 Corinthians 13. He was made to learn it as a boy, which he then resented, but now he values it highly. "The passage of time has slowly yielded a fuller understanding and has emphasized for me the evils of our "instant culture" which sadly seduced people down blind alleys. The text does indeed open up new understandings to anyone who so desires. It helps me to be a 'live man living' (not a dead man walking)."
"Seeing Jesus - Knowing Christ" is the title of a series of Bible studies in St John's gospel conducted by Rev. Prebendary Norman Wallwork in Dursley in last few months. It was part of the celebration of the King James Bible and a distillation of Norman's experiences, before his retirement, of St John's writings. It was a great pleasure for me to hear the wise reflections of this mature mind. (I am deliberately ambiguous at this point for I refer both to the maturity of the writer and the teacher!) You will be aware of the special significance of St John's gospel and how it was put together to show us the Christ from the first chapter, as we read about Jesus. You will know the famous line of Alexander Pope, "What oft was thought yet ne'er so well expressed." In the case of St John's work, it is not so much what was thought, because we often cannot even think satisfactorily about the things of God. It is the marvellous words of St John which enable us to start developing thoughts of the Divine.
A story which I have always enjoyed (but which I suspect is apochryphal) concerns young people and the elderly St John. He was the last living disciple; the last person who had actually known Jesus and a group of enthusiastic young Christians went to see him to get a definitive word of wisdom. "From your experience and from your knowledge of Jesus, what special advice do you give us?" Now they expected some great theological insight with which they could impress others and which would give them status in the Church. "We had this from St John himself" etc. -and the very elderly John looked at them and said, "Little children, love one another." And, of course, the dynamic younger men were disappointed.
Those were the words of the wise man, who had lived with Jesus and with Christ. I commend to your thoughtful reflection these experiences of the "Ancients" and just how much we each need to accept a growing and maturing faith as the Holy Spirit works in our lives - "shining more and more unto the perfect Day."
Richard Chidlaw.
(The book referred to above is Let your faith grow - David Bick, published by 0-Books, ISBN 978 1 84694 460 4)
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