How do we live wisely in an unwise world? Many people believe we are living in the Golden Age of Stupidity. There is a tension here. There is nothing new under the sun. Yet we see breathtaking evil things being advanced by our academic world and political elites drunk on power.
The push to legalize recreational drug taking when science tells us it does serious brain damage--not bright. The breakneck spending by politicians on both sides of the aisle to the tune of 29 trillion is stupidity by every sober metric of history. The hyper-woke cancellation culture of free speech, rushing into the slavery of Communism with all its atrocities makes no sense to people who believe in self-evident truths.
So, how do we walk wisely in an unwise world staggering toward slavery, not even rising to the level of organized selfishness? Stupidity happens when a society loses good manners, throws out morals, fails grasping human depravity, and discards the loss of the sanctity of life. Added to this, stupidity arises when the Bible is thrown out, the lessons of history are not taught, and people can no longer read or reason.
In Proverbs, we hear there are two roads in life. There is the road of righteousness which brings forth light. Then there is the road of wicked stupidity that brings darkness, savagery, and stumbling (4:14-15).
I was listening to Afghan women this week lamenting how the Taliban's coming back into power was an unspeakable tragedy. These women tasted the fruit of freedom. They said for the first time they could dream. For the first time they could become human. For the first time they had joy, a measure of hope, and peace. They said when you look into the eyes of the Taliban's selfish worldview... you see no joy.
At the end of the greatest sermon ever, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated there are only two roads in life. There is a road that has a narrow gate called righteousness and there is broad road that unwisely leads to destruction (Matt 7:13-14). You will know which road you are walking by witnessing the fruits of its teachers. "You will know them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16) said Jesus, history's greatest teacher by far.
St. Paul thought a lot about Jesus Sermon on the Mount. In Paul's letter to the Galatians, Paul spells out the fruit of what an unwise life looks like. He also describes what a wise life in light of eternity looks like. The foolish life, the unwise life, the selfish short-sighted life, is marked by 17 rotten fruit--terrible traits. The wise life, the truly good life, is marked by 9 fruit, all born of Jesus' great love for us upon the cross.
As believers in Christ, we see and sense two roads at work in life. Now we are engaged in a great civil war within our soul. On the one hand, there the sinful lusts of the sinful flesh which seeks to run life in its own lawless loveless way. On the other hand, there is the Road the Spirit prays we will walk. An old poem describes this internal battle: Two natures beat within our breast; the one is cursed the other is blest, the one I love, the other I hate; the one I feed will dominate.
Our new nature, brought forth by Jesus' love, walks the road of wisdom in this unwise world. It delights in the right wise use of the gift of sex. It seeks to avoid the drug world not being a slave to power, money, drugs, bad behavior, and bad doctrine. The world recognizes some of this stupid behavior but it does not go nearly as deep as St. Paul. All the world can do is point its finger at people and say "Don't do that" or "This is what you must do to be upper crust with us."
The Bible approaches this matter way differently. It reveals that though we are impure, the holy Son of God risen from the dead dwells in us. It reveals that while we are still very much imperfect, the perfect Son of God who died for us dwells in us and prays for us. The power to allow the beautiful fruit of the Spirit, the wise life to come forth, comes through looking to Jesus. Remember His unconditional love for you made known on Good Friday. Remember His whole life for you whether in His Old Testament or New Testament revelations. Remember Your baptism when you were baptized into the crucified risen Savior. Knowing the crucified Savior now dwells in you and you in Him is the power you need to crucify daily the sinful flesh (Gal 2:20). It is His love, His presence, His power, His pardon that moves you and me to live wisely, walk wisely, and bear abundant fruit.
Focus not on your imperfections, but focus clearly on Jesus' life and love for you and His presence within you. The only way to break the power of flesh is to kill it through the power of crucifixion that the Crucified bestows upon you through this Word. This is priority one.
His love, His actual dwelling in you, remembering His resurrection and crucifixion moves us, in turn, to love. This love moves us to love. It also moves us to joy--something the world cannot offer. Jesus' love moves us to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and generosity, a gentleness that does steer between the extremes of anger and the inability to be angry at evil, and self-control--so necessary for freedom. Jesus' love moves us to live wisely in an unwise world!
Amen.
