“Alexa, What is Wisdom?”
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.’”
I have an elderly friend who died recently. In the last years of her life, he family set her up with “Alexa.” My friend couldn’t see well anymore. But she remained informed by Alexa. Throughout the day, Alexa would give her weather and news information. Alexa would even tell her the occasional joke and trivia information. Alexa kept her thinking and focused on life beyond the walls of her home. Yet, Alexa isn’t always a blessing.
Alexa can be fun, and she can provide an enormous amount of information. Where she falls flat is in offering wisdom. As amazing as “Alexa” is, she cannot think. Trivia is found in one’s memory, whether in the brain or on a computer. It doesn’t require thought. Wisdom takes trivia and even knowledge, and forces us to think and implement that information. No matter how helpful computers and AI pals are, they do not necessarily possess wisdom.
I am deeply concerned that our present society is filled with enormous amounts of trivia and even beneficial information. It is at our fingertips, and with “Alexa” at the tip of our tongue. What computers and “Alexa” cannot do is interpret this information and make ethical, moral, and wise decisions based on all this readily available information.
The Christian Church suffers from the same anomaly. Many confuse scripture memorization with Biblical understanding. Others confuse Holy Spirit utterances, such as speaking in tongues, with religious wisdom. Still others believe that learning ancient theological texts is the equivalent of wisdom and understanding. Frankly, authentic Christian faith is hard work and requires study, but also contemplation. It isn’t just knowing information, but internalizing it in such a way that it makes a difference in our lives and the lives of others.
Today, pray for the divine One to restore wisdom to our world and the Christian Church. Ask God to bless each one of us, so that we no longer confuse trivia with wisdom. You can appreciate Alexa, but trust our Triune God to speak to us in ways that matter most, so that we learn to hear God’s still small voice and respond with faith and wisdom. Alexa may have a lot of answers, but our Triune God leads us to “the way, the truth, and the life.”
