“Follow Wisdom Day and Night” Video
Many years ago commentator Bill Moyers wrote, “The news is not good these days. What we need is what the ancient Israelites called Hokmah (“Wisdom”), the capacity to see, to feel and then to act as if the future depended on us.” The news is even worse now. And the future of our world does depend on us.
More than ever, in the midst of a global pandemic and global warming, our world is in urgent need of Divine Wisdom. But Wisdom is sadly missing. Instead of Wisdom, we have racism, sexism, misogyny, heterosexism, classism, and other injustices. Instead of Wisdom, we have a pandemic and global warming. Instead of Wisdom, we have violence. Instead of Wisdom, we have greed. Instead of inclusive images of Deity that affirm all human beings as created in the divine image, we have exclusively male images that devalue more than half of humanity. We need Wisdom and other female divine images so that there will be justice for females and for all human beings. Without Wisdom we all suffer.
In all my years growing up in church I never heard God referred to as “She,” even though the Bible presents Wisdom as a prominent female personification of God and refers to Wisdom as “She.” Most churches still exclude Wisdom and other biblical female references to Deity. Those who include Her and follow Her are deeply blessed. “Happy are those who find Wisdom. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with Her. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all Her paths are peace. She is a Tree of Life to those who lay hold of Her; those who hold Her fast are called happy” (Proverbs 3:13,15,17-18).
When we follow Wisdom, She will guide us through these perilous times, helping us not only to survive but to thrive and grow. She is a Tree of Life. When we follow Her, we will be “Trees of Life, bearing fruit for all to thrive.”
Follow Wisdom Day and Night
Follow Wisdom day and night,
for in Her we find delight.
She is like a Tree of Life,
bearing fruit for all to thrive.
Streams of blessing overflow,
when in Wisdom we will grow.
We will be like Trees of Life,
bearing fruit for all to thrive.
Words © 2019 Jann Aldredge-Clanton
Music © 2019 Katie Ketchum
Video Credits
Performed by: Katie Ketchum
Music: Katie Ketchum
Lyrics: Jann Aldredge-Clanton
From:
Hersay: Songs for Healing
and Empowerment
Visual Artists:
Katie Ketchum: paintings of Hersay Cover Image & Divine Wisdom
Mary Plaster: painting of Sophia, Divine Wisdom
Stacy Boorn: paintings of tulips and trees
Elaine Chan-Scherer: photos of streams and dahlia
Photos from loaves and fishes ministry, The Gathering, A Womanist Church
David Clanton: digital artwork of tree
Mirta Toledo: painting of Sophia