| On Wisdom
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All poems: copyright by
Nicholas Gordon
Free scrapbook poems
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provided by the author. |
1. Religion has ever been the great motivator
of wise behavior, whether through veneration of ancestors, rejoicing in the
law, imitation of Christ, hope for an afterlife, or pure love of God. It
supplies occasions, rituals, tastes, scents, music, and poetry that tie one
to wisdom from childhood and, through one's children, make one a bridge over
which wisdom may pass from one generation to the next.
2. There have been many attempts to create secular
substitutes for religion, but so far none has succeeded in replacing the
wine of faith with the distilled water of reason.
3. Thus in a secular society there are many
who have no strong childhood ties to wisdom and little definite that they
wish to teach their children.
4. Others cling to religion fanatically, like
survivors to the remnants of their vessels. Fanatical religion is, however,
the antithesis of wisdom, since it eschews moderation, tolerance, and
rationality.
5. Thus the paradox that in a society ruled
by reason alone, irrational behavior increases.
6. Since it is inborn, wisdom is present in
every society, as it is in every person. The question is never whether wisdom
survives, but whether it is more or less.
7. In the modern world, for wisdom to be more
it must find new clothes, for it cannot long go naked in such inclement
weather.
8. How to clothe it well, whether by reinvigorating
old traditions or inventing new ones, is a challenge and opportunity that,
in keeping with the pluralism of secular society, each family must manage
in its own way.
Next: Wisdom in the
Modern World: Globalization
Previous: The Practice of Wisdom: Patience, Tolerance,
and Humor
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