There is much wisdom in the readings today, not just in the book of Wisdom. I take it all to mean that it is not so much about trying to decide who is good or bad in the world, but what behaviors or choices about ways to live are good or bad. We all have the potential to do evil things, but we should be on guard against plotting evil and being among those through whom evil occurs. Better, we seek wisdom and the word of life than perverse counsels. Better we operate with a kindly spirit, rather than one that dwells in sin and deceit as a manner of being. Better we rebuke injustice than counsel the foolhardy.
While being without sin is impossible for us, choosing a life of seeking wisdom is not so difficult to do. While sin inevitably occurs, and we are in bondage to it by human nature, we do not have to live under its power. Through our faith, we can take the high road. We do not have to dwell in a body under debt of sin and senseless counsels. We can allow the Spirit of the Lord to fill our lives, and hence the entire world. With the guidance of the Lord, we can attain the lofty knowledge that guides our ways and holds us fast. We do not have to be held down by those without faith who plot evil.
These words of hope are the most central to my faith as I tend to be a person of action. A lot of people of little faith feel safer just judging others. But that is not how we increase our faith. It happens through real interaction with the world and through daily discernment of the sort we read in Psalm 139. Rather than judging others, let us let God examine us at the end of the day. Where do we sit and where do we stand in the everlasting way? I pray that today we will read Psalm 139 as a prayer of discernment. And we can pray often throughout the day, “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way!”
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.
