Grow a Spiritual Garden – Day 5

The immensity of knowledge and technological advances over the last few decades, leave one speechless. It is said that the theologian and philosopher Thomas Aquinas was probably the last learned person who was able to encompass all the knowledge of his time in his mind. Since then, knowledge has proliferated to such an extent that it would take an army of experts in every field of knowledge to know all there is to know about the universe.

There are of course people who are extremely intelligent and for whom the origin of life is no secret and no mathematical riddle is too obscure and astro-physics is an open book, and who have the power to write wonderful stories and poetry about anything under the sun. But what kind of knowledge does God have in mind when he talks about knowledge and wisdom? Surely not just book-learning, academic excellence or intellectual capability? If that was true most of us would simply fail to make the grade. Even the learned Paul was at a loss for words when talking about God’s wisdom.

Perhaps the knowledge God is referring to is spiritual intelligence – the gift of distinguishing between what is important and what isn’t; and being aware of the greatness and the immense variety of the world we live in without being overwhelmed by its complexity. This knowledge must surely include self knowledge and the ability to explore who you are, to know your good and bad points and above all to know what you believe in and what is important to you. This kind of knowledge does not require a university degree because it is available to the least as well as the greatest among us. It is the knowledge that comes from the Holy Spirit.