We read Paul’s writings as theological texts instead of letters much of the time. The passage for today from Ephesians gives me the feeling that Paul was writing to remind folks of what they already knew about life together more than he was trying to lay down the law. And his words helped me remember words and music written by old friends and sung with so many people down the years.
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“So be careful to live your life wisely, not foolishly. Make the most of every opportunity because these are desperate times.”
That’s the first sentence of our passage for today, which lets us know we came in on the middle of the conversation. Paul had been admonishing the recipients of his letter to be aware, to courageous, to be intentional in all sorts of situations, and then he boiled it down to say, “So be careful to live your life wisely, not foolishly. Make the most of every opportunity because these are desperate times.”
If we were to update the last sentence into a more contemporary phrasing, we might say, “Seize the day because it’s all we have,” or “Live like there’s no tomorrow,” but how do we live into those words in ways that make them more than a good slogan?
Let me ask my question another way: What is the difference between wise and foolish?
Wisdom is more than being smart or educated or clever. We talk about the owl as a symbol for wisdom, though I’m not sure why other than they have the sense to pay attention and not say much. When I searched for why the owl is considered wise, I found that the explanation went all the way back to the goddess Athena who saw wisdom in the owl because of its big eyes and solemn appearance. But there’s more to wisdom than looking the part.
The Hebrew notion of wisdom was the ability to function well in life and in relationships. It carried a sense of discernment and hospitality. A wise person was one who had a sense of themselves and how they were connected to everyone and everything around them. “Work,” he said, “to understand God’s intent for our lives.”
I’ll come back to that, but first, I want to notice that the root of the word fool can also mean a blacksmith’s bellows, as in a wind bag. To be foolish is full of hot air, if you will, or blown by the wind without any sense of intention or grounding.
Paul then went on with a couple of other comparisons. Along with being wise and not foolish, he exhorted his readers to be intentional rather than careless and filled with God’s spirit rather than being drunk. All three contrast those who look to live as though they are a part of a larger whole with those who are self-absorbed.
Now let’s go back to what it means to understand God’s intent for our lives. When Paul told people to be filled with the Spirit of God, he said it happened in three ways: by speaking to each other in a melody of love, singing songs that draw us together, and being grateful in the midst of our circumstances, all of which lead us back to the sense of wisdom as hospitality.
God’s intent for us is to live as though relationships matter most—and we live into that intention when we speak and act with love, trust, joy, and gratitude.
I imagine that when he wrote those words, Paul knew he was not telling the Ephesians things they weren’t already aware of, just as I know I am not talking about things that already happen here. When I think of how we speak to one another in a melody of love I think about those of you who gather on Wednesdays to make prayer shawls and other things, and those of you who come on Fridays to play music together. I think of those who lead our music in the summer so Linda can have her time away. We speak the melody of love when we volunteer to usher and host coffee hour, or the way Anna and Bill share their vegetables.
My favorite example is Anna’s response to the email thread among our church leadership about housing a Liberian children’s choir in our fellowship hall in September. “Of course we should do it,” she said. “That’s what Christians do for each other.”
And we then we actually sing together each Sunday. I am always happy when we select a hymn that evokes a story from you. A lot of hymns do that for me. And, even though we don’t always pick winners, I like it when we sing hymns that are not in our usual repertoire, as Lynda calls it, because they ask us to stretch and learn together.
Since it’s summer and I have my guitar, lets learn one now. Don’t worry—it’s just a chorus that was written by some friends of mine. It is called “All Together,” which feels appropriate for this morning.
all together, sing the song
all together, everyone belongs
together, a family
we are all, all, all, all together
The last thing is to be grateful in the middle of our circumstances. That is easier some days than others, and it is also something we can choose to do. What are some of the ways you cultivate gratitude in your life? Who is this room are you thankful for and why? If we are going to make the most of every opportunity in the short time we walk the planet, letting people know why we love them and are thankful for them ought to be on our list every day.
Let’s sing one more time:
all together, sing the song
all together, everyone belongs
together, a family
we are all, all, all, all together. Amen.
Peace,
Milton
