The Beginning of Wisdom

In the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the psalmist proclaims “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”. This statement requires some consideration. He notion of fear as understood in the modern age is not exactly correct here. Another approach to this ‘fear’ which is both helpful and imperfect is the “fear” of loss of the presence of God in life. The Hebrew Scriptures, and the Letter to the Hebrews in the texts today speak of the Covenant in which God proclaims that He is the God of the people of Abraham and they are His people. This relationship with the Divine is a necessary component of full human life. The joy and wisdom of knowing the Immanent is celebrated today. The Gospel of Mark points out that the ritual and religious observance which surrounds our exploration of the relationship with the Divine is for the seekers not for God.