“Hear Sophia Call” Video
Growing up in an evangelical church, I learned the song “Jesus Is Tenderly Calling.” We usually sang it at the end of worship services for the invitation to salvation. Later, I discovered the connection between Jesus and Sophia (“Wisdom” in the Greek Christian Scriptures). Now I hear Sophia calling us to join Her paths of peace and justice. And She calls us to come to Her when we become weary or distressed.
Jesus’ beautiful invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest; take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29) parallels these verses, referring to Sophia: “Give your shoulder to Her yoke, and let your souls receive instruction, for in the end you will find rest in Her” (Ecclesiasticus 6:25, 28; 56:26).
In Hebrew Scripture Hokmah (Wisdom) is a female name for the Divine. She is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, renewing all things. She creates and orders the world. She delights to be among the human race, teaching us Her ways. Wisdom symbolizes creative, redemptive, and healing Divine power. In their efforts to describe these same attributes in Jesus, the apostle Paul and other biblical writers draw from the picture of female Wisdom in Hebrew Scripture. Paul refers to Jesus as the power of God and the Wisdom (Sophia in Greek) of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), and states that Jesus “became for us Sophia from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Proverbs describes Wisdom as the way, the life, and the path to righteousness (Proverbs 4); the writer of the Gospel of John records Jesus saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (14:6). What Judaism said of Wisdom, Christian writers came to say of Jesus: the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15); the reflection of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3); the one through whom the world was created (John 1:3).
In the first half of second century, identification of Jesus as Sophia had become widespread. Early Christians associated Sophia with Jesus and absorbed part of a collection of wisdom sayings into a collection of Jesus sayings. For example, Jesus’ description of love for the children of Israel in terms of a hen gathering her brood under her wings (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34) parallels the tradition of Wisdom who continually calls people to share in her blessings and who wants her children to remain near her (Proverbs 8:32-35).
For more detailed explanation and application, see In Search of the Christ-Sophia: An Inclusive Christology for Liberating Christians.
Hear Sophia Call
Hear Sophia call, deep within us all:
“I will give you rest, easing pain and stress.”
Hear Sophia call, deep within us all:
“When you are distressed, come to me for rest.”
Hear Sophia call, deep within us all:
“Learn my peaceful way, giving life each day.”
Hear Sophia call, deep within us all:
“Come, restore your souls, living in my flow.”
Words © 2019 Jann Aldredge-Clanton
Video Credits
Performed by: Katie Ketchum
Music: Katie Ketchum
Lyrics: Jann Aldredge-Clanton
From:
Hersay: Songs for Healing
and Empowerment
Visual Artists:
Katie Ketchum:
Hersay Cover Image
& Guadalupe
Mirta Toledo: Sophia
Elaine Chan-Scherer:
Our Lady of Charity: La Caridad
Stacy Boorn: Mary Magalene
Words © 2019 Jann Aldredge-Clanton