In the context of the pandemic that is staring at all of us and in the face of the suicide of many famous and ordinary people (including a Catholic priest) let us reflect on life and the wisdom that we can draw from it.
One of the exercises I ask the students to do is to enumerate list of five people whom they consider wise. Most of them come with the names of Solomon, Socrates and Jesus. Hardly anyone will mention the names of those living close to them. Those with who they interact on a daily basis.
John Izzo, the famous American journalist and author asked about 13000 people to propose the names of people whom one considers wise. Out of it came his book, “Five Secrets You Must Discover before You Die.” The special point is he asked ordinary people about other ordinary wise people whom they meet in their day to day lives. Our of the books emerged five secrets: (1)Be true to yourself (2) Leave no regrets (3) Become love (4) Live the moment (5) Give more than you take. We are all challenged to find the wise persons in our midst, even amount those whom we do not like. We are faced with the task of discerning wisdom in the ordinary events of life.
What is “wisdom” is a debatable question. But it is truly significant for our lives. François de La Rochefoucauld (1613-18), famous French author makes the classical statement: “Wisdom is to the soul what health is to the body.” According to La Rochefoucauld, the analogy between the health of the body and soul is to be taken symbolically. Wisdom, the health of the soul, enables us to survive and find meaning, even in our suffering. Drawing from Viktor Frankl we can assert that the greatest freedom we possess is to find meaning, even in excruciating pain and tragedy.
That is what happens to many of us, including religious or spiritual people. Calvin Coolidge, the former US President remarked that “Some people are suffering from lack of work, some from lack of water, many more from lack of wisdom.” When we look at our own situation this is very true. We search for truth and we are given mere information. We seek knowledge and we are given only data, superabundant data.
How can we stop, look on our own selves, find meaning even in our failures? How can we reorient ourselves and reflect critically on the values and goals of our society? Only when we have an experiential knowledge of ourselves, our values and even our failures, can we grow in wisdom.
The larger society always prices on money, power and prestige. It lays stress on the visible and on the ambitious. In this case, Albert Einstein’s insight is relevant, “not everything that counts can be counted.” It is not the money we possess, the admirer we have, the books we read that really counts. What really counts at the depth of our being is our own genuineness. Once we are in touch with ourselves, we do not necessarily depend on others approval to recognise our own worth. Then we can afford to fail and lose.
Can we as Christians draw this living wisdom from the unconditional love that flows our of the wounds of Christ? Such a wisdom will make us truly peaceful and tranquil in spite of calamities like the present pandemic. Such a wisdom will enable us to embrace even the suffering, mistakes and failure of others in a sense of forgiveness and graciousness.
It will recognise that life is not always fair to us. We can still accept and affirm our life. It will help us to relish life, in spite of the tragedies which are necessary part of it. So we can listen to Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman statesman, who urges us, “If Wisdom be attainable, let us not only win but enjoy it.” The enjoying of the wisdom does not make us dumb to the painful calamities confronting us on a daily life.
Finally, we need to learn from Lord Chesterfield “Be wiser than other people if you can; but do not tell them so.” Wiser in bearing with each other, showing magnanimity, never inflicting pain on others, but being resilient to suffer with and for others.
As Christians, we are called to share the wisdom that radiates joy, peace and patience especially in troubled times and events. A wisdom that makes us resilient. A wisdom that gives peace, the peace which the Lord alone can give us, in spite of little and mighty heartbreaks!
Kuruvilla Pandikattu SJ
kuru@jdv.edu.in