Back To School

I can’t believe that school has started again. It seems to start earlier every year. When I was a child, back in the dark ages, school never started until well into September. I loved going to the store and buying school supplies. I still love the smell of crayons. That was the best part. Here’s the worst. I was in school when President Kennedy was shot and killed. The teachers cried, closed the school down early, and sent us home. Home, where we watched and listened to the horrible details over and over for weeks. What are your best and worst memories of school? I’ve read that when you feel old and want to go back to your youth, think of algebra. Even long division was awful for me. I’ve also read that knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. The book of Ecclesiastes explains that knowledge is human, but wisdom comes from God. You can have plenty of book knowledge, and still no wisdom. Did you know that Ecc. 1:18 says “With much wisdom comes much sorrow. The more knowledge, the more grief. I imagine that having wisdom makes us more aware of the suffering and injustice in the world. That would be why my teachers cried that day in November, which seems like a lifetime away. In fact, it pretty much is. The Bible says that it is not only the old who are wise. It also says that the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. Some qualities of wisdom, according to our bible: your words are gracious and used with restraint, wisdom listens to advice, you have humility and don’t boast of your knowledge, you hold your tongue, turn away anger and keep yourself under control. We’re not supposed to think ourselves wise or clever. This can make us too proud and boastful. And do you know what the beginning of wisdom is? The fear of the Lord (Psalm 111:10). One other thing. 1 Cor. 8:1 says “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”