A Quiet Wisdom

Have you ever been around one of those people that knows everything? For every story you share, they have a story to top it. For every piece of information you possess, they own five. They can speak on any topic. They can solve any problem. They know all there is to know; there is nothing more to learn. Those people, as lovely as they are, come with a bit of frenzy, don't they? A kind of manic uneasiness that puts everybody on edge just a little bit.

You know why, don't you? It's because somewhere deep down, they know that they don't know everything, and it drives them crazy. Somewhere along the line, they got the message that their value is tied to what they know, and so they profess to know everything. 

On the other hand, there are those people that come to the party quiet and reserved. They don't say much, but when they do, it's spot on. The wisdom that comes from their lips is captivating, and you hang on every word. Those people don't need to show how much they know because knowing what they know is enough for them. They know things because they don't do all the talking. They listen, observe, and learn, and so they develop a quiet wisdom those loud people will never know. I know which kind of person I want to be. Who do you?

Narrative Lectionary Text: Psalm 131

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
   my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
   too great and too marvelous for me. 
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
   like a weaned child with its mother;
   my soul is like the weaned child that is with me. 

O Israel, hope in the Lord
   from this time on and for evermore.