The Wisdom that Comes with Age

 

What would it feel like to wake up every morning not worrying about past hurts or past events we couldn't possibly change? Wouldn't it be nice to begin each day with hope, renewed trust in God's love, and the faith to know God is doing something new for us every day?

I reflected a little today upon the wisdom that comes with age.  If one is older, there’s a responsibility to help guide the younger generation with clarity, firmness and love.  If one is younger, they must not neglect to rely upon the wisdom of the older generation.  Though age isn’t a perfect guarantee of wisdom, it may be a far more significant factor than any of us realize.  I’ve learned throughout my relatively long life to be open to my elders, show them respect, and learn from the experiences they had in life.  I think it’s served me well.

“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.  And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders.  [John 8:7–9]

This passage comes from the story of the woman caught in adultery when she was dragged before Jesus to see if He would support her stoning [John 8:1-11].  His response was perfect, and, in the end, she was left alone to encounter the tender mercy of Jesus.

The last line in the passage above is one that reveals an interesting dynamic within human communities in general.  It states, “…beginning with the elders.”  Generally speaking, those who are younger tend to lack the wisdom and experience that comes with age.  Though the young may find it hard to admit, those who have lived a long life have a unique and broad picture of life.  This enables them to be far more prudent in their decisions and judgments, especially when it comes to the more intense situations in life.

In this story, the woman was brought before Jesus with a harsh judgment.  Emotions were high and those emotions clearly clouded the rational thinking of those who were ready to stone her.  Jesus cut through this irrationality by a profound statement.  “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Perhaps, at first, those who were younger or more emotional didn’t allow the words of Jesus to sink in.  They probably stood there with stones in hand waiting to start throwing.  But then the elders began to walk away.  This is age and wisdom at work.  They were less controlled by the emotion of the situation and were immediately aware of the wisdom of the words spoken by our Lord.  As a result, the others followed.

It's easy for anyone to say, “Forget the past, just look ahead,” or “don’t worry, time heals all wounds.”  We’ve all heard these words of encouragement from friends, family, mentors, and colleagues.  However, it’s difficult to forget.  It’s difficult to not stir up anxieties about past failings or hurts.  It’s difficult to strain forward while the wind of regret and fear is right in our faces forcing us to frequently take steps backwards or stand still in terror.  It’s difficult to move towards the upward calling of loving ourselves and others.

When Jesus responded to the scribes and the Pharisees who brought Him the woman who had been caught in adultery, He never proclaimed the woman’s innocence, nor did He pass judgment.  Jesus called their attention to her humanity and theirs.  Jesus chose mercy over judgment.  Jesus bent down and away from the height of judgment, standardized punishment, chastisement, and condemnation.  Jesus leaned into her humanity, her imperfection, and the impermanence of the path she had taken as He wrote on an impermanent ground that holds no one's secrets for long.  We could maybe lean into the humanity of those who have hurt us or disappointed us.  We could maybe lean into our own humanity and realize we, too, are forgivable and loveable.  We could maybe trust in the Lord God, who doesn't condemn us, who puts water in the desert of our soul, who does great things for us and lifts us up.