BibleWorm

This week we read about Solomon’s wisdom in 1 Kings 3:4-28. In a dream, King Solomon confesses to God that he doesn’t know what he’s doing, and asks God for the one tool he feels he most needs to do the work of a king well – for wisdom – or, in Hebrew, a listening heart. Almost immediately, an impossible case comes before him. We wonder: in a case like this, with no evidence, what does it look like to judge with wisdom? Was Solomon savvy, bringing forth the sword as a test? Or did his own plan actually change along the way, in response to what had unfolded in the room once the sword appeared? Is wisdom like a capacity or “talent” or super-power, or is it a disposition to stay open and receptive to the world around us? This story gave us hope that maybe a listening heart is on offer to all of us.