We need Wisdom to fight ‘Soul-stealing’

A man only becomes wise when he begins to calculate the approximate depth of his ignorance – Gian Carlo Menotti. Knowledge and wisdom come from God as free gifts so that we can understand and appreciate His wisdom. The Psalmist always praised God’s handiworks: O God! How great are your works; how deep are your designs, the foolish can never know this; and the fools can never understand it. God’s wisdom is given to us so that we may witness God’s love and care.

The early Christians were tormented by persecutions on all fronts of the empire. They needed the wisdom to accept their feelings of ‘dejection and rejection’. They wondered, “why should I die for Christ?’ We in this modern world experience a far dangerous situation than persecution. It is a situation of ‘soul stealing’. In persecution they lost their human bodies but kept their souls intact. The world today keeps the polluted bodies ‘intact’ and committing suicides with our souls. Engaging in sin and causing others to sin is in a way ‘soul stealing’.

The early Christians were tormented by false-teachings of false-prophets. They needed wisdom to point out the right people to shepherd them and teach them values of life and values of the Gospel. In our modern society we witness a far dangerous situation than false teaching and false prophets. We are weak and vulnerable to be tempted by anything, to believe in anything even if it brings death to our bodies or souls. This is another form of soul-stealing.

What are some of the forms of soul-stealing that I find in my society, in my family? Do I feel the absolute necessity to pray for wisdom as Solomon prayed? Do I feel that wisdom is far superior a wish than anything else that I wish for? Amen.