Stupid Questions And Wisdom
Stories
Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit
Series V, Cycle C
Object:
Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: "To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live." (vv. 1-4)
An attractive, young, blonde woman boarded a plane in Los Angeles to fly to New York. The young woman was tired. She knew it would be a long flight, so immediately she asked the flight attendant for a pillow and a blanket. She hoped to be able to sleep most of the way to New York.
Her head had just nestled into the pillow when an obnoxious man with a loud, booming voice boarded the plane. Sure enough, he sat down beside her. He tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Hi, there. It's going to be a long flight, so to pass the time, would you like to play a fun game?" Politely, she declined and rolled over toward the window to take a nap.
The chauvinistic man figured that since she was an attractive, young, blonde that he would easily win, so he persisted saying the game was really easy and lots of fun. He explained how the game worked: "I ask you a question and if you don't know the answer, you pay me, and vice versa." Again, she politely declined and settled into her pillow.
However, the obnoxious man arrogantly made another offer. "Okay, how about this? If you don't know the answer, you pay me only $5, but if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500."
Now this caught the young woman's attention, and she figured that the man would not let up. Did she really want to hear him the entire way to New York? So, finally, she agreed to play the game.
The man asked the first question. "What's the distance from the earth to the moon?" The young woman didn't say a word. She just reached into her purse, pulled out a $5 bill and handed it to the man.
The man said, "Okay, okay. Now it's your turn. Ask me a question, any question."
She said, "What goes up the hill with three legs and comes down with four?"
The man looked at her with a puzzled expression, but then he grabbed his laptop computer and searched all his references. No luck! Next, he tapped into the Airphone with his modem and searched the net, and even the Library of Congress. No luck! Frustrated, he sent emails to all his coworkers and friends. All to no avail. After an hour or more of searching for the answer he finally gave up.
Meanwhile, the blonde woman had slept for an hour. The man tapped the young lady on the shoulder to wake her up, and he handed her the $500. Politely, she took the money, put it in her purse and turned away and nestled back into her pillow.
The man objected, "Wait a minute! What is the answer?" Again, without a word, the young woman reached into her purse, handed him $5, and went back to sleep!
The psalmist wrote, "Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights ... she takes her stand." The heights -- say airborne?
Sometimes we arrogantly think we understand more than we do. Wisdom cries out for us to understand beyond human understanding and search the depths and heights of God's wisdom. The scripture reminds us that true wisdom is the knowledge and understanding of our Creator. Wisdom cries out. Will we answer?
An attractive, young, blonde woman boarded a plane in Los Angeles to fly to New York. The young woman was tired. She knew it would be a long flight, so immediately she asked the flight attendant for a pillow and a blanket. She hoped to be able to sleep most of the way to New York.
Her head had just nestled into the pillow when an obnoxious man with a loud, booming voice boarded the plane. Sure enough, he sat down beside her. He tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Hi, there. It's going to be a long flight, so to pass the time, would you like to play a fun game?" Politely, she declined and rolled over toward the window to take a nap.
The chauvinistic man figured that since she was an attractive, young, blonde that he would easily win, so he persisted saying the game was really easy and lots of fun. He explained how the game worked: "I ask you a question and if you don't know the answer, you pay me, and vice versa." Again, she politely declined and settled into her pillow.
However, the obnoxious man arrogantly made another offer. "Okay, how about this? If you don't know the answer, you pay me only $5, but if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500."
Now this caught the young woman's attention, and she figured that the man would not let up. Did she really want to hear him the entire way to New York? So, finally, she agreed to play the game.
The man asked the first question. "What's the distance from the earth to the moon?" The young woman didn't say a word. She just reached into her purse, pulled out a $5 bill and handed it to the man.
The man said, "Okay, okay. Now it's your turn. Ask me a question, any question."
She said, "What goes up the hill with three legs and comes down with four?"
The man looked at her with a puzzled expression, but then he grabbed his laptop computer and searched all his references. No luck! Next, he tapped into the Airphone with his modem and searched the net, and even the Library of Congress. No luck! Frustrated, he sent emails to all his coworkers and friends. All to no avail. After an hour or more of searching for the answer he finally gave up.
Meanwhile, the blonde woman had slept for an hour. The man tapped the young lady on the shoulder to wake her up, and he handed her the $500. Politely, she took the money, put it in her purse and turned away and nestled back into her pillow.
The man objected, "Wait a minute! What is the answer?" Again, without a word, the young woman reached into her purse, handed him $5, and went back to sleep!
The psalmist wrote, "Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights ... she takes her stand." The heights -- say airborne?
Sometimes we arrogantly think we understand more than we do. Wisdom cries out for us to understand beyond human understanding and search the depths and heights of God's wisdom. The scripture reminds us that true wisdom is the knowledge and understanding of our Creator. Wisdom cries out. Will we answer?
