Study tour blog #2: Wisdom begins with wonder.
Angus Gibb is travelling around Greece and Turkey in April 2023, on a study tour of ancient Biblical sites.
The Delphi archeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
One of the great blessings of being on a trip like this is the local tour guides who travel with us. Our guide has been excellent. Her knowledge of each site continues to blow me away. On top of this, is the way in which she is able to weave in the history, culture and mythology of Ancient Greece at every single location.
Socrates himself once said, “wisdom begins with wonder.”
No place does this quite like Delphi. This was the place where ancient Greeks would travel long distances and high up into the mountains to hear from the oracle and receive advice on what is the plan for their life. The great tragedy of Delphi is however, that wisdom was never truly found and the practices at Delphi were often filled with corruption.
One thing in particular that has struck me is the way in which the Greeks searched for wisdom. This quest for wisdom made Ancient Greek culture remarkably special. Just think of the philosophers like Aristotle, Plato and Socrates. Socrates himself once said, “wisdom begins with wonder.” It is no wonder then, why the ancient temples were designed in such a way as to fill you with a sense of wonder.
This is a far cry from how God’s word speaks of wisdom. Think about how the book of Proverbs opens and describes the search for wisdom,
“the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
– Proverbs 1:7
In these words we perhaps see an echo of what Socrates said, but with an even greater answer. We also see this in Job 28:28 where he says: “And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” In fact, if you read through all of Job 28 and you get a wonderful sense of where wisdom is truly found. For us who live as redeemed sons and daughters, wisdom is found in God and his revealed word.
We don’t need to search for oracles in the mountains, on in the ancient philosophy of the Greeks. Nor do we need to search for it in some mystical location like a monastery. Instead, wisdom is found in God and in our fear and wonder of who he is and what he has done for us in the Lord Jesus.
Located in Delphi, the temple of Apollo was dedicated to the god of music, harmony, light, and healing.
Ancient stonework in Delphi
Charioteer of Delphi
More Reflections.
Often, we build something up so much in our minds, that the experience we want becomes almost unattainable. We romanticise what we think it will be like and we think “If I can just do this one thing or tick this one experience off my bucket list, then I will be able to feel a sense of fulfilment that I wouldn’t necessarily have had otherwise”.