Justice Workshop

Just a couple of quick thoughts this afternoon. I like this first reading. It is one of those typically Old Testament instances of an almost naive simplicity of imagery, expressing a truly profound complexity of insight.

God is pictured as speaking in a dream to the newly anointed King Solomon, and inviting him to ask for whatever he pleases, whatever gift he thinks will best equip him to take up the new role in which God has cast him. And without hesitation, really, Solomon asks for the gift of wisdom. And the picture that is drawn of God's reaction to that choice is an oddly, appealingly human one. The Old Testament author says that God was "pleased" with Solomon's answer. Pleased because Solomon's answer was an unselfish one. He could have asked for wealth or power or pleasure for himself, but he didn't. He chose, rather, the good of his people. And so God was pleased. So pleased in fact that in the last few lines of the reading, He adds on to Solomon's gifts all the rest besides. He gives Solomon the wealth, the power, the pleasure, the prestige, as well as the wisdom.

So it almost seems as though a very simple and obvious sort of test were being set up for Solomon. A test to determine whether or not he was unselfish enough to be a king, a leader of God's people. If his taking up of that role was simply a matter of satisfying his own needs, then it would be without value, and it would not be accepted by the Father.

So a sample test indeed, a clear standard. But a standards, certainly, by which not only kings are measured, but every member of God's people. So perhaps there is something more being said here than simply, "Don't be selfish." As is usually the case with Old Testament historical literature, perhaps there is a dimension of revelation that really isn't very sample at all. I thank so.

After all, Solomon could very well have unselfishly chosen health and military power. It would, in fact, have made pretty good sense politically. When Solomon took over from his father David, Israel was far from a secure people. David had made great progress militarily, but the Philistines, and the other Canaanite tribes were still there, still very much resentful of the invasion of their land by the Hebrews. And it must have been pretty clear to Solomon that from Assyria to the north, and Babylon to the south and east, further and even greater threats would shortly be posed. So the future of the tenuous hold the Hebrews had on Palestine was not at all a sure thing, a strong army would have made life safer, the future more secure for all of the people.

And wealth could certainly have benefited all the people as well. The Hebrews had settled in an area that gave them easy access to some of the richest and most heavily traveled caravan routes in the Orient. If Israel could become established as a mercantile power, and do so cleverly, their security may well be even more firmly guaranteed than by an army.

So Solomon could have chosen any number of things, and done so unselfishly. He could have passed that simple test in a wide range of ways.

But he chose wisdom. And by doing so, he passed a far more godly test than simply selflessness. By choosing wisdom, Solomon chose literally to live in God's world, and on God's term, even though at first, those terms may not seem to make very much sense by human standards. Wisdom is a rich word in the Old Testament. It is never simply an abstract virtue, it is never simply understandings, or knowledge. Wisdom begins, certainly, with knowledge, an accurate, realistic perception of the circumstances, free of prejudice and self-interest, but it doesn't stop there. On the basis of that knowledge, the one who is wise, judges, accurately, realistically, justly. The one who is wise makes a distinction between values. This is good, this is not good. This is right, this is not right.

But it can't stop there, either. Not if it is Wisdom. On the basis of that judgment, the one who is wise, acts. And does so on no other basis. For one who is wise, nothing other than the rightness of the act matters very much. In fact, that is a pretty good definition of the Scriptural sense of Wisdom. The ability to act rightly.

Wisdom is pursued, then, in any issue, when each of those dimensions of the virtue is realized. What are the realities involved? How sure am I that in fact my perception is accurate? Why am I sure? How pure is my intention? How clearly do I see the values involved? Am I hung up on ideas, side issues, all sorts of ''what if's", or am I free to act on those values, simply because they are real?

And I think the deepest level of revelation in this reading is in the promise that when God's people do act wisely, choose to live in His world, on His terms, simply enough, it works. Solomon chose Wisdom and all the rest came with it, not nearly so much as a reward for a virtuous choice, but rather as a natural consequence of acting rightly.

Solomon faced a good many issues, challenges, changes, problems over the years of his reign. In facing most of them, he didn't do very well. He got too drawn in to other considerations, political, military, economic considerations. He became cautious, fearful, angry.

We must do better. A choice was offered to Solomon as he faced the issues raised by his role in the midst of God's people. Well, precisely that same choice is offered to each one of us. As we face our own issues, we can put our reliance, our confidence in a wide range of powers, abilities, skills. We can rely on political clout, on economic strengths, on our own cleverness, our own vision. Each of these will accomplish something. None of them will accomplish very much. We must do what Solomon set out to do, but do it better than did he. We must recognize that the world is God's. It can only be well-shaped when it is shaped according to His design, no matter what that may be. And once we have perceived that design, we must give it flesh and blood. We must do so persistently, concerned with no value other than that it is God's.

And if we do that, wisely and well, all the rest will be given besides. We must hold firm to what Solomon somehow lost. The realization that to live in God's world as He calls it to be, is an immensely satisfying thing. It is real. And it works.

Readings: 1 Kings 3:4-13; Mark 6:30-34. The homily was preached at a Mass celebrated in association with a Justice Workshop, 4 February 1984.