Am I Listening to the Sophia Within?

Related to our recent posts, I have come upon a possible method to handle what can become a real spiritual dilemma. My posts have been based on how the current political and ecclesial divisions strain our faith and our religious spirit. I pointed out that theologian and writer Walter Brueggemann developed a concept of royal consciousness in our culture as the pernicious agent that is a major contributing factor to our state of division as citizens and as members of a religion. This royal consciousness springs from a culture of death that has gripped our psyches and our souls. It says that there are people who have rights and privileges and people who do not. It suggests that this is simply the way life is and we best not challenge such thinking. It is a systemic environment of favorability and entitlement; people in this environment, can impose their will on those not in the environment. I think you get the picture.

Most people see our divisions as symptoms of a culture of death and some see them as the reasons for the culture of death. Listen to our rhetoric: “Our democracy will end (if such and such happens); The market will crash; thieves and murderers will wander our streets freely…” Without realizing it, we promote a culture of death with negative advertising in politics and religion. Is it any wonder why we are frightened and paralyzed into inaction?  

I referred to this once before but perhaps we need a deeper dive into what Carmelite scholar Constance FitzGerald calls the Sophia Wisdom that lives in each of us. It goes like this: Human beings have an innate resilience to adversity. We can overcome anything we choose to overcome. We may not solve the issue at hand, but we can overcome it and not let it control our lives. This is because within us is the spark, the flame that inspirits us, moves us forward despite being held down, or tethered by fear and anger. That spark or flame, says FitzGerald, is Sophia, the Greek icon for wisdom. We say Sophia is the Holy Spirit. 

And when does Sophia flourish or make herself known? Oddly enough, when we are most in pain. Sophia is really God as Holy Spirit. Facing our pain, God joins hands with us, and we are comforted. Take for instance, Jesus’s words on Golgotha as he was dying. From the center of his great pain of not even feeling God was there, he asks forgiveness of his executioners. He assures a recognized thief of paradise; he places his mother into his disciple’s care. All of these prayers and wishes were brought up from his deep well of pain and they gave hope to everyone he spoke to and about. He spoke from wisdom, from Sophia, not human cleverness or need. He spoke for others through his pain! That is the lesson of Sophia.

Sophia will emerge when we are most vulnerable, when we are most frightened, when we are at our wits end as to what we should do in any situation. But we must be conscious that she is there. We cannot wallow in our pain or confusion. We must reach into her place within us and say or do something for others in pain or trouble who need her comfort and guidance. The miracle of this effort is that Sophia will provide the words or action we are to take. Sophia can only be reached through suffering. But we must recognize the suffering as a wisdom that helps us see better, understand more clearly, walk more assuredly with the pain we are experiencing, and the pain others are experiencing. Without suffering, says FitzGerald, we cannot recognize it in others and thus we cannot help them. You might say, Sophia helps us develop empathy. 

Reflection

Remember, Sophia might not solve an issue, say for instance your many prayers to end the war in Ukraine because you have family there. But the prayers and your awareness that deep inside of you is the wisdom to know what you can do in your own way to alleviate the atrocities of war. I clearly remember our nation at prayer during World War II. My mother attending Mass and Benediction as often as possible and churches full of people praying. Add to that the sacrifices we made not having certain foods, not purchasing items that went toward the war effort. Add to all of this the reaching inside of our souls to find ways to personally get involved in the effort by purchasing war bonds, sending care packages overseas, accompanying grieving parents and spouses of the military. It goes on and on. All of this lifted our nation and allies to the level of wisdom; Sophia acted when she was reached through everyone’s pain and brought up from every heart and spirit.

This week, make a point to recognize how the state of our division is impacting your spirit. If it causes fear in you, reach out to do something about it so others might not be as fearful. Your fear will diminish this way as well.

Wisdom lives within you. Her name is Sophia. Get familiar with her by helping others to find her as well. Take time to reflect on Sophia in your soul and in your suffering. She awaits.

We need to be more positive about our coming election. We need to volunteer and to get everyone to vote. We will quell our nerves and fears by relying on Sophia.