Really Real

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:1-7)

        In a Postmodern society, wisdom is seen as micro-aggression or even aggression used to oppress others. Feelings and raw experience are valued for themselves, not for the wisdom they bring. Kids scold those who dare advise against a planned course of action or who dare to mention the mistakes of those youth. Clear thinking is not taught because they believe that anything that is believed makes the argument invalid.

       This passage makes it clear what Solomon believed was the foundation of philosophy, knowledge, wisdom and (I suspect) life: the fear of the LORD. This is another point at which the Postmodern society generates difficulty for those who believe it. For the Christian, the LORD is the One who is really real, the uncaused Cause, the Underived from which all else is derived. It makes sense to respect (AKA fear) Him and that reality. Our society teaches us that we needn't respect anything as being Ultimate. God doesn't exist. We are just recent accidents in a long, long line of accidents. The idea of anyone, let alone Someone, being the source of wisdom, discipline, knowledge, etc., is despicable. So is living in accordance with that wisdom and discipline. In other words, by definition, Postmodernism is foolishness.

       If you wish to be wise, you must begin with the most basic, the most fundamental, the most really real - what is so real that everything else is imaginary in comparison. You must begin with God, or at least with what you believe to be god and you must respect (fear) Him because He is that which is really real. What He says is more real than the "reality" we see. That is why we must walk by faith not by sight.

 

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Birthday of Grover Cleveland and Rimski-Korsakovv