Wisdom vs. Knowledge
I’ve been spending a little time thinking about one of my upcoming sermons. The series is tentatively being called, “I have a friend who...” The specific message I’ve been assigned is, “I have a friend who is apathetic toward everything.” I won’t give the message until May, or something like that, but it’s been on my mind.
While I was out on a run this afternoon, my head decided to turn a few things over that connected that message to this blog-post I’ve been meaning to write. It’s about the difference between knowledge and wisdom.
I really do have a number of friends who seem apathetic toward most everything. I’ll attempt a lively debate with them, but they’ll dismiss any argument I raise. It seems that nothing (save perhaps the super bowl... another topic for another day...) can rile them up. Nothing fills them with passion and nothing gets their blood moving.
I think it’s a characteristic of us gen Y’ers (I think that’s what ‘they’ are calling us). We have more access to more knowledge than anyone before us and it’s left us paralyzed, incapable of making serious commitments or decisions. Too many good arguments, too many possible faiths, too many ideas to choose from. So we don’t choose. We just say we’ve heard ‘that’ before, raise the appropriate counter-argument, and remain indecisive.
And that really is one of the principle differences between knowledge and wisdom. With knowledge you have your facts, but with wisdom you have the ability to handle those facts. It’s the ability to discern their validity and move forward in light of that discernment.
It’s not a crime to be knowledgeable, but I’d rather be known as wise.
While I was out on a run this afternoon, my head decided to turn a few things over that connected that message to this blog-post I’ve been meaning to write. It’s about the difference between knowledge and wisdom.
I really do have a number of friends who seem apathetic toward most everything. I’ll attempt a lively debate with them, but they’ll dismiss any argument I raise. It seems that nothing (save perhaps the super bowl... another topic for another day...) can rile them up. Nothing fills them with passion and nothing gets their blood moving.
I think it’s a characteristic of us gen Y’ers (I think that’s what ‘they’ are calling us). We have more access to more knowledge than anyone before us and it’s left us paralyzed, incapable of making serious commitments or decisions. Too many good arguments, too many possible faiths, too many ideas to choose from. So we don’t choose. We just say we’ve heard ‘that’ before, raise the appropriate counter-argument, and remain indecisive.
And that really is one of the principle differences between knowledge and wisdom. With knowledge you have your facts, but with wisdom you have the ability to handle those facts. It’s the ability to discern their validity and move forward in light of that discernment.
It’s not a crime to be knowledgeable, but I’d rather be known as wise.
Cheers,
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