Lady Liberty, Lady Justice and Lady Wisdom

Does not wisdom call
and does not understanding raise her voice?
2On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
4“To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live.
5O simple ones, learn prudence;
acquire intelligence, you who lack it.
6Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right;
7for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9They are all straight to one who understands
and right to those who find knowledge.
10Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold;
11for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12I, wisdom, live with prudence,
and I attain knowledge and discretion.
13The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
14I have good advice and sound wisdom;
I have insight, I have strength.
15By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
16by me rulers rule,
and nobles, all who govern rightly.
17I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
18Riches and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
19My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than choice silver.
20I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21endowing with wealth those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of long ago.
23Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth--
26when he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the world’s first bits of soil.
27When he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
29when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30then I was beside him, like a master worker;
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race.

Lady Wisdom - Do you see her? She's at the front of the Memorial Day parade at a town nearby. At least that's how I see her. She's dressed in worn jeans and a favorite, comfortable shirt. And of course she wears hat, to shield the sun so that she can see everything as clearly as possible. 

Unlike Lady Liberty - sculpted out of copper, standing strong as she welcomes the poor, the tired and those yearning to breathe free. Lady Wisdom is sculpted of flesh that feels the warm breeze at the parade. Her feet only as secure as the muscles in her legs. Lady Wisdom doesn't stand at the doorway welcoming others - she has a voice. She calls out.

Lady Wisdom is also unlike the blindfolded Lady justice - balanced in her stance, always judging righteousness.  Lady Wisdom sees, she watches, "I have insight" she says. Did you know that there is a woman beside the Creator God of the Cistene Chapel?

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There she is - beside God, surrounded by cherubs. Is that Lady Wisdom? Her flesh explosed, her hair golden and her eyes fixed. Fixed on the creation to be. Is her gaze certain? Or perhaps she's taking in every ounce of experience.

Wisdom is said to be Knowledge + Time.

Wisdom comes with scars typically. Wisdom comes from having lived through and in and with and despite. Wisdom is not clean. Wisdom digs in and forages for knowledge.

Lady Wisdom walks beside the town's marching band, noticing each student. She walks beside the mayor's convertible and talks with his grand daughter.  Lady Wisdom stops at the old couple's house on the parade route - to shake hands? to feel wrinkled skin? She doesn't mind having to catch up with the parade. 

Lady Wisdom sees the boundaries around us - us who live in skin. She sees the young, the old, the sick, the well, the poor, the wealthy, the strong, the weak, the tired, the rested, the secure, the frightened. When the music has ended and the speeches have all been made, I imagine she slowly makes her way to the crossroad again.

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