Friends: Jesus pursues us, and it is wisdom to allow Him to catch us. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, and to the sons and daughters they love. Blessings, Bob

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Spirituality Column #1023

June 23, 2026

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

Proof of Wisdom

By Bob Walters

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge … Listen, my son, to your father’s teaching …” Proverbs 1:7-8

Almost anyone can pick up a Bible and immediately understand the Book of Proverbs.  It is easily the most accessible, common-sense, non-mystical collection of divine advice, observation, and wisdom scripture has to offer.

Granted, one must possess an ear for biblical language and expression. The hermeneutic, or syntax, of a word like “fear,” washed through ancient translations, doesn’t mean to be afraid and timid.  “Fear of the Lord” means to be solemn and respectful with a full dose of appreciation for whom “the one true God” actually is. He’s not an idol or an idea; He is Lord of all wisdom, truth, reality, and Creation, and we meet Him fully in the person of Jesus.

This is where the secular world starts to wobble. “Common sense” contains an acceptable note of authority, but when knowledge includes “God,” well, now we start asking for proof God exists.  And I think we have, primarily, the ancient Greeks (Socrates, etc.) to thank for that interruption in wisdom’s chain of custody, and more recently, the Enlightenment’s recalibration of man’s position before God.

To be brief, and move quickly on to the next point, the Greeks tested reality with proof: if it cannot be seen or touched, it is not real.  I.e., prove God, or there is no God. And despite Christian influence, the Enlightenment (1600s-1800s), boiled down largely to man defining God rather than God defining man, or ignoring / defying God altogether.

These are humanists and atheists who may see some moral value in the Bible, but not God’s primacy.  God, it must be understood, is seen personally with the eyes and touch of one’s heart and intellect, unlimited by tactile experience or sage syllogism.

So, as we discussed last week, “proof” of God is faith itself: deeply unsatisfying – or perhaps we should say, unreasonably shallow – for the proof-demanding secularist / atheist.  Give me evidence, or give me a different story! Alas, the point is missed.

My life lived is the true proof of my faith, if I choose to accept the gift God offers.

Without revealing names, last week I mentioned a really smart (Mensa), life-long, dear friend who has a deep Christian faith and a loving son who claims atheism. They talk about it weekly. Here is a piece of the response my friend had to the column:

“We have been discussing the book, The Incoherence of the Philosophers, by Al-Ghazali, an 11th century scholar and polymath of the Islamic Golden Age. The book blurb states, ‘… [Ghazali] challenges the assumptions that philosophical reasoning alone can yield certainty in ultimate matters.’”

In other words, philosophers may not know everything. My friend continues:

“I agree. [My son] agrees. Where we differ? Philosophize all you want. Faith is consent by the individual. I consent fully and without reservation. I require no further proof nor do I believe that these ‘ultimate matters’ can be reduced to any proof.  Define God. Go ahead. The words you use and the thoughts you have are at best derivative of our human experience and knowledge. That's reality, but how do you describe the indescribable? God's power and majesty may surpass anything we could ever imagine.”

Adding, “… I have given my consent. I live my life as a challenge to others to give theirs. That's why Sunday is my favorite day of the week with a person I love, [my son].”

Love is the greatest gift of faith, and consent the greatest proof of wisdom.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) notes Father’s Day this year is also his friend’s birthday, so happy birthday, RG. Btw, Proverbs chapters 1-7, 10, and 13 all begin with phrases about sons. Walters is not one to write or hi-lite in his Bible, and has only one passage underlined, Proverbs 23:15-16.