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Rev. Klockers: Some of the wisest people I know admit they don’t know everything

| September 23, 2020 1:00 AM

1 Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.” (New Revised Standard Version.)

As I’ve grown older, I would like to think that I’ve become more self-aware. One thing that I can say in this regard is that I realize that I’ve grown incredibly wise over time. You might be thinking that statement is certain proof that I am puffed up with pride and so full of myself that I am of no earthly good to anyone but myself.

If that’s the case, I’d kindly urge you to hold off on that judgment and please hear me out.

In my book, someone that is truly wise is a person who realizes they don’t know everything. That’s what I’m talking about here, and I fully subscribe to this way of thinking.

At mid-life, I realize that I still have so much to learn.

The good news is that every day has the potential for greater knowledge. There are lessons like this all around us that are ripe for the picking. That is, if we are open-minded enough to receive them. Admittedly, it is a challenge.

We all have egos and we don’t want to be proven wrong. After all, such a thing can be humiliating.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

When we are wrong, it can be a blessing in disguise because we can learn from it. That is, if we are able to set aside ego (and perhaps a need to be right and smarter than the other). When we do that we can begin to see with new eyes.

Psalm 96:1 says “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”

Every time we learn something new (even if we do so by being corrected), it can be a point of praise to God. It is like singing a song with some newly-written lyrics that add to the experience of a life well lived.

Walter is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Moses Lake and has served as parish pastor for more than 30 years.