Ecclesiastes 9:13-18

Ecclesiastes 9:13-1 (NRSV)

I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. So I said, “Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
    than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
    but one bungler destroys much good.

It's hard not to think of our current political environment when reading this passage. 

Can you remember any of the words of quiet, wise, politicians?

We've begun to think that they aren't even out there, and seen examples where, even when they are out there, they feel pressured to give into the rhetoric of the loudest, most insensitive, and most bombastic.

Sometimes it seems that wisdom does not have it's way.

Sometimes it seems like wisdom loses.

Sometimes, as the teacher says here, wisdom actually does lose.

So do we give up on it?

The teacher says no.  The words of the wise should be heeded.

Because they are needed.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war.

Or weapons of bombastic words.

Or foolishness.

Wisdom may not seem to be having it's day these days. And yet we can cling to it with hope.

That's what we do. As Christians, we are a people of hope. We cling to it, even when it might seem futile. Even when wisdom doesn't seem to fall in line with prevailing reason.

Wisdom might not seem to have its way today in your life. But listen closely for it. Sometimes the speaker of wisdom might be talking softly and gently, and you'll have to tune your ears to catch it.

Lord, all true wisdom is yours.  Attune my ears today for your soft-voiced prophets so that I don't miss their words. Amen