Wisdom, in the Scriptures, is referred to as Chokmah (Hebrew) or Sophia (Greek). Wisdom was present “at the very beginning, when the world came to be,” when God “set the heavens in place” (Proverbs 8:23, 27). It is significant that in the Scriptures wisdom is not merely an abstract concept but is personified as a woman. In our first reading, she is described as radiant and unfading (Wisdom 6:12).

She is holy, discerning, loving and humane (Wisdom 7:22-23). She is a divine spark, a source of life and a guiding force in all of creation.

Jesus drew on these metaphors for wisdom, describing wisdom as known by her deeds, her children (Luke 7:35, Matthew 11:19). Throughout his life, Jesus fully embodied wisdom in all its life-giving, loving and transforming aspects.

In navigating our path through life, growing in wisdom springs from a deep awareness of the sacred at the core of our being. Teilhard de Chardin said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Our first reading reminds us that wisdom is found by those who look for her.

Current models of artificial intelligence may have the capacity to help us synthesise large quantities of data at high speed. However, in contrast to wisdom, they are unable to plumb the depths of our humanity, to reach that sacred space within us.  Pope Leo, in his first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), writes that “humanity – in all its grandeur and woundedness – must never be replaced or surpassed. We can embrace the technological progress that alleviates suffering and unlocks new possibilities, provided that we do not abandon the very essence of our humanity, namely the capacity for relationship and love.”

Pope Leo also warns against the tendency of technology to concentrate knowledge and, with it, power in the hands of a few. The Tower of Babel was motivated by hubris and power. Similarly, today, a sole focus on data and measurable outputs runs the risk of sacrificing “human dignity for efficiency” and fracturing our shared humanity.

By contrast, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem with the assistance of the people, brick by brick. It was an endeavour characterised by “the shared responsibility of all: men, women, priests, artisans, heads of households and young people.” It was an undertaking “with God at the centre, which rebuilds relationships before rebuilding with stones.”

Wisdom inspires us to strive for the common good. It finds its fullest celebration in generous expressions of compassion, mercy and justice. It radiates outwards from the sacred core of our being to embrace each person we meet. We behold the face of God in each other and bring to birth the fullest flourishing of our humanity and God’s presence in our world. With wisdom, we enter Mystery.

Sophie Clements

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