Page 225 - Built For God Handbook (Annotated and Explained Edition) - The Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching - The New Evangelization - Pope John Paul II

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It has been said that Wisdom is confusing to the proud and often evident to
the lowly. Wisdom is not gathering more facts and information, as if that
would eventually coalesce into truth. Instead, Wisdom is a different way of
seeing and knowing. Nothing new—no perspective, no experience, nor even
love—can come to us when we are full of ourselves, our agendas, and our
own points of view. Wisdom requires a certain self-emptying and
attentiveness to the present moment.

Devout messengers are followers of God who use their wisdom to guide
people toward simplicity rather than cleverness and knowledge. If people
are seduced by too much cleverness or knowledge, they don’t listen
anymore. They will always find an argument to challenge the truth. The
devout messengers of God understand that cleverness and too much
knowledge would lead to selfish desires and deceit, leading, in turn, to
complexities and chaos.

Excessive cleverness can be negative. Sometimes, we say, “He or she is
too smart for his or her own good.” A person like this would distort facts and
scientific proof rather than accepting the truth or being open to faith.
Therefore, the devout messenger guides everyone towards simplicity. Our
first parents made their lives more complex by desiring God’s knowledge of
good and evil, which opened their eyes to their own nakedness and left
them feeling shame as a consequence. A complicated life is one where joy
becomes difficult to experience. Therefore, it's better to know and live the
truth rather than trying to run one’s life with cleverness and contrived
craftiness.

The messengers of God balance knowledge and wisdom. If we have
knowledge alone, without any wisdom, then cleverness appears, and
problems arise. People will make wrong decisions, using their excessive
knowledge to decide for themselves what is right or wrong, without
understanding what is best.

Wisdom is a gift from God, allowing devout messengers of God to teach and
live with simplicity. This gift allows God an appropriate place in their life,
similar to keeping our minds clear or uncluttered, so God's Spirit can work in
us without roadblocks making life complicated. Wisdom guides us to use
knowledge correctly for truth and life.

a 1 Corinthians 1:20-25; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16; 1 Corinthians 3:19; John 14:6;
d
b Matthew 23:1-7; 1 Corinthians 2:9-11; Hebrews 12:22-24; John 16:13
c