Tuesday, September 1, 2015

It's Not What You Know...

An Inkling
It’s not what you know, but who you know…
Usually I hear that offered as a cynical take on “why he got the job instead of me.”  But it’s also a crucial insight for spiritual life.
David Brooks is a recent example of one who is very wise in the ways life actually works.  Despite the fact that he is not a Christian, much of what he writes in his books and for the New York Times resonates with biblical insights.  He is clearly informed by his Jewish roots, and he is well studied in Christian thinkers, from Augustine to Dorothy Day, making him a favorite writer among many Christians.  But as I read him I can’t help but feeling that something is still missing.  It’s not what you know, but who you know…
I saw the same dynamic some years ago with Scott Peck.  He was a psychiatrist, whose best seller, The Road Less Traveled, resonated with wisdom, much of it aligned with scriptural insights, though he himself was not a Christian.  As it turned out, soon after he wrote The Road Less Traveled he became a Christian – and the crucial missing piece was provided.  So he said himself.  It’s not what you know, but who you know…
That’s what Jesus claimed – about himself!  Knowing all manner of wisdom is not enough.  Knowing him is.  It’s not what you know, but who you know…
May it become so for David Brooks and many like him. 
Blessings,

Keith