Everybody wants to be a little bit smarter. Which is why when I was offered a meal that would make me smarter, my interest was peaked. I was living in Japan, a single young lady, and people took it upon themselves to educate me in culture and things which can only be described as heresay. I took the bait. A teacher, a young lady who wanted to learn English and I went on a drive that would take us to a restaurant which promised to increase my very brain cells. They were very quiet about the ultimate destination, so I just went along.
To start the day, we went to a Japanese theme park. They had some really great rides, but apparently I was the only one brave enough to ride them. The park was filled with people, but no one wanted to be twisted, flipped, rolled, jerked or thrown into the air, so I got all the fun to myself! Then we went to the restaurant where all my voyages for wisdom were to be rewarded.
As my meal was being ordered, I happened to notice the price tag. A whopping U.S. $300 was the equivalency. I was too stunned to make any comment and didn’t really want to seem tacky, so I kept my mouth shut. However, I knew right then and there that I would have to eat whatever was put before me – it simply cost too much for me to leave anything behind. The meal was brought out in stages. I was given miso soup and salad. In addition, I was handed various side items, including seaweed and assorted pickled things and a generous portion of thinly sliced whale blubber in a yellow miso paste. Finally, the moment had arrived. The food that would make me brilliant was brought to the table and unveiled. There on my plate was the largest eyeball I had ever seen. Said eyeball belonged to a deep sea tuna. It was huge, and if any preparation at all had been done, I didn’t notice. My friends watched me with curiosity. All manner of excuses came to mind, such as, “I’m already so smart I blow your mind as it is. Don’t you think I’ll have an unfair advantage?” or “I really like not knowing much.” Or “Actually, I’m so smart that I know well enough not to eat that thing.” But nothing came out of my mind. I picked up my chopsticks and began the task before me. I must say that I don’t remember any flavor in particular. I remember texture, and it was not at all pleasing. But I did it. I will never be conquered by a bit of flesh.
The quest for knowledge is a curious thing. People will go to all sorts of libraries, universities, mountaintops, deserts, oddly dressed teachers with wild hair, or teachers with no hair at all, but it seems like few go straight to the source. Proverbs 9:10 tells us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” God is the source. The word “fear” here confused me as a child, but I know now that the fear at work here is not unsimilar to a fear of the ocean. When I stand by the crashing waves, I’m not actually frightened, rather I respect the power that is there and know enough not to abuse my own limited abilities trying to get the ocean to do as I bid. God is all-powerful. He is all-seeing. He is all-knowing. Any attempt to treat the God above all gods any differently is, indeed, foolish. Making the first step to acknowledge who He is will always be the first step toward wisdom. Sure, we can be smart about some things on our own, but can we really be wise?
No comments:
Post a Comment