It costs an average of $26,340 to complete a bachelors degree in a public institution.  It costs an average of $100,572 to complete a bachelors degree in a private institution.  It is harder to calculate the average costs of a masters or doctoral degree, although one can safely conclude that graduate education can be very pricey, as well. 

            But one invests far more than just money in this type of education.  Hours upon hours upon hours are spent in classes, in study groups, reading, taking exams, writing papers, meeting with faculty, researching, defending, and editing theses.  Not only that, this pursuit of knowledge often involves a sacrifice of relationships and comfort.  Students often travel far from home to pursue their education, leaving behind friends and family and networks of support.  Married students and students with children sacrifice time spent with their partners, sons, and daughters.  The stress, the effort, the time, the expense of academic excellence is enormous.  And yet most of us say that it is worth it.  Most of us hope that our sons and daughters, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews, our godchildren, will go to college and get a bachelor’s degree.  And then we support them and celebrate others when they choose to continue their education through graduate studies.

            Is it worth it?  So much knowledge is gained through these programs; knowledge that has helped us to advance as a society, to care better for one another, to understand our world on a deeper level.  Through academic pursuits, we do learn how to make the world a better place, how to do work that matters, and how to do it well.  Knowledge is a great gift and a worthwhile investment.

            But wisdom, in the Christian tradition, is a whole different type of learning.  And I believe that we do not pant for wisdom in the same way that we pursue knowledge.  The wisdom that helps us discern what is right, and what is wrong.  The wisdom that calls us to follow Jesus, even when it is hard.  The wisdom that calls us to a true Christian education, where we understand our tradition and its teachings, where we apply our faith to our lives.

            What kind of time, what kind of money, what kind of effort, and what kind of sacrifice do we invest in our Christian education?  Do we value academic knowledge over true wisdom?  Do we value the accumulation of information above the ability to apply Christian principles to our daily lives?  Our investments of time, money, effort, and sacrifice seem to indicate that Christian education in far less important than academic knowledge.

            In fact, study after study confirms that this is so.  Sociologist Peter Berger argues that the secularization of religion has created a situation in which religion must compromise its claims in favor of that which is logical.  He writes, “This theology can, indeed, be described as an immense bargaining process with secular thought – ‘we’ll give you the miracles of Jesus, but we’ll keep his ethics’; ‘You can have the virgin birth, but we’ll hold on to the resurrection’; and so on.”

            Yale Law professor Stephen Carter adds further truth to the triumph of reason over faith, as he writes, “The consistent message of modern American society is that whenever the demands of one’s religion conflict with what one has to do to get ahead, one is expected to act…well…rationally.”  Carter adds that “in recent decades, religious argument has seemed largely a captive of the right, whereas the left, which once gloried in the idea that God stands for social progress, has more and more shied away from it…Liberals have framed their intellectual commitments around a belief that the only things that really move people are economic entitlements and political rights; they miss the fact that human beings have a deep need to have their lives make sense…to find a way to place their lives in a context of meaning and purpose.”

            When we sacrifice the wisdom that our faith gives us in honor of the knowledge that society upholds, we are in danger of losing that which is most meaningful.  Should reason play a role in our decision-making process?  Absolutely.  Should academic knowledge influence our choices?  Without a doubt.  But when we forget the demands of our religion; when we treat our faith convictions as beliefs that can be tossed aside; when we neglect to learn from our religious traditions, we reject the very foundations of true wisdom.

            Let’s hear Carter’s words one more time, “The consistent message of modern American society is that whenever the demands of one’s religion conflict with what one has to do to get ahead, one is expected to act…well…rationally.”  There are many things which are rational, but not faithful.  There are many things which are rational, but not wise.  As Christians, we need to invest in wisdom, so that we can discern that which is right from that which is wrong, using wisdom and reason together, and placing higher value on true wisdom.

            In our Scripture reading for today, King Solomon has a dream.  And in that dream, God offers Solomon the opportunity to ask for whatever he wants.  Now Solomon, at this time, has lived as a ruthless man; he established his rule over Israel by murdering his half-brother and his father’s close friend.  He exiled a priest and arranged strategic foreign marriages.  He was following standard practice, as kingship in his world meant absolute power, wealth, and usually oppression and cruelty.  Even his father, David, had abused his power as king in order to achieve selfish goals.  But here we see a change in Solomon, a change that does not seem all that logical.

            You see, Solomon does not ask for the ability to be smart, or cunning, or politically savvy.  He asks for the ability to discern between good and evil; he asks for wisdom, rather than knowledge.  In other words, he wants to do God’s will, as he rules the nation.  Now the truth is that Solomon fails in this endeavor over and over again.  He continues to engage in idolatry and oppression; in fact many of his policies led directly to the division of Israel and Judah.  But Solomon’s goal, to discern right from wrong, was what deeply pleased the Lord.  And through this, Solomon was able to build that beautiful Temple for God, a Temple that served as inspiration and strength to an entire nation.  
            Heather Murray Elkins writes, “The dream quest by a king implies that the deepest wisdom is not reason, but revelation.”  Solomon finds his deepest wisdom in this dream.  By discerning between what is right and what is wrong, he can do great things.  When he gives into the selfish ways of the world, that is when things start to fall apart.

            I love the character of Solomon, because he is so deeply flawed, and yet he accomplishes wonderful, profound acts of faith.  He seeks wisdom, and sometimes he lives out a faithful wisdom that transforms a nation.  Other times, he gives into the ways of the world, and we see oppression and violence rip apart his country.  We are so much like that; we seek wisdom, we try to do what is right, and we see transformation in our lives.  And then other times, we give into the ways of the world, we give into our selfishness, and we watch things fall apart.  It is only when we value wisdom, when we seek to truly learn the ways of God, that we can put things back together.

            When I was in high school, my parents had a fund set aside for my college education.  When I got a full tuition scholarship, my parents made it clear that I could use the money that they had set aside for other educational purposes.  Through their generosity, I was able to enroll in a summer language program in China and spend the next summer studying in the Yucatan.  But when I decided that I wanted to use that money for a Christian service project, my father hesitated.  “We said it was for educational purposes, Kari,” he explained, “not just for whatever you want to do.”

            It was an interesting lesson in what was of true value.  Academic learning was worth the investment, while Christian service was not.  Over time, I was able to convince my dad to fund this particular project, but as a young person, I wondered why academics were more valuable than religious activities.

            I think we often model this for one another.  Do we value teaching our children about God, about what is right, about the ways of Jesus, as much as we value teaching them permutations and Shakespeare?  Do we speak of our religious convictions, our faith, our Christian education, as much as we speak of what we heard most recently on NPR or read the other day in the New York Times?  And when we do speak of what is going on in the world, when we do speak about what we are learning, do we apply our faith to our learning?  Do we speak, as a Christian, using the language of our faith, to address issues of deep importance?  Do we value wisdom, or knowledge?

            In our reading from the Psalms, it is very clear what the Psalmist values.  In fact, the language is so strong that it sounds almost ridiculous to our modern ears.  It is an ode of adoration to the Torah, to the law of God, and we wonder why on earth one would want to sing a love song to the Bible.  But for the Psalmist, the words of scripture are life-giving, sustaining, and nurturing.  In fact, the Psalmist declares that keeping God’s precepts is directly linked to redemption from human oppression.  Gary Charles writes, “There is an unmistakable delight that runs through this section, rejoicing that the Torah, the instruction, the teaching, the word of God is a divine gift to be cherished, not a heavy burden that oppresses us and that we disobey at our own peril…Liberation flows from embracing God’s word.”  Certainly it is true that great suffering stems from the callous disregard for divine laws.  But even more importantly, the word of God gives us the wisdom to do what is right, the freedom to choose that which is good over that which is rational.  The Psalmist knows this, and so the Psalmist celebrates.

            It may be rational to focus one’s efforts on career advancement and material accumulation.  After all, you work hard and you deserve the fruits of your labor.  But is it wise?  Is it life-giving?  Is it in keeping with the law of God?

            It may be rational to stay safe in one’s home and resist the call to go on a mission trip.  After all, why take the risk, spend the money, invest the time in people you do not know?  But what is wise?  What is life-giving?  What is in keeping with the law of God?

            It may be rational to say “no” to an opportunity to serve.  After all, you are busy, you have your own needs to attend to, the needs of your family, the demands of your job.  But what is wise?  What is life-giving?  What is in keeping with the law of God?

            We have a lot of knowledge.  And it is important.  We have the gift of reason.  And we need to apply it to our decisions.  But I believe that the most important tool for making the big decisions in our lives is wisdom.  To discern what is right, and what is wrong, and to follow in the ways of God, even when they are hard, even when they are irrational.  We need to invest in this kind of wisdom.

            So, how do we do it?  How do we invest in wisdom?  I would suggest we do it the same way that Solomon did.  We ask for it.  Over and over again, we pray to God.  We ask for the ability to discern between that which is wrong, that that which is right.  We come to God every day, and every night, in prayer, and we ask for wisdom.  The more we ask for it, the more we will value it, and the more we will live it.

            We invest in Christian education.  Instead of just reading the New Yorker, get a subscription to The Christian Century.  Instead of just attending lectures on African art, come to adult Sunday school classes here at the church.  Instead of investing all your time and energy in your child’s academic education, make sure your kid knows how important their Christian education is, as well.  Don’t just read The Trumpet of the Swan to your sons and daughters, read stories from our scripture, too.  And to those of you who love to read mind-numbing mysteries, just like I do, try to incorporate some wonderful Christian authors into the rotation, as well.  Marcus Borg, Jim Wallis, Anne Lamott, Ron Sider, and many others can teach us the ways of wisdom, and open us to true mysteries.  I’d be happy to recommend others, as well.

            As a society, we invest an enormous amount of time, money, effort, and energy in our academic education.  And that is a very good, very important thing.  But as Christians, we also need to invest in God’s wisdom.  To discern between what is right and what is wrong – it takes a lifetime of learning.  Fortunately, we follow a God who is always ready to teach us; fortunately, we are never too old for a Christian education.

            Amen.