While cleaning out Mother’s home, my sister and I each gravitated towards what speaks to us regarding what we are willing to part with and what we aren’t. My sister treasures anything old; she is drawn to antiques, especially if they hold sentimental meaning. The gravitational pull for me is books. I’ve always loved books. As a young girl, I got lost in the many adventures of Nancy Drew, and as an adult, I value the inspiration and enjoyment reading brings to life. In our many military adventures, when it came time for relocation, the look on the faces of the movers when they saw our bookshelves is memorable. Most of the time, they would express themselves in a foreign language that I could not understand, but I could sense they were not happy. Last week I had the opportunity to visit the George Peabody Library in Baltimore, and it will be a forever memorable experience. The library opened in 1878 and contains over 300,000 volumes, mainly from the 19th century. As I walked into one of the world’s most beautiful library spaces, it literally took my breath away. The stack room towers with five tiers of gorgeous, ornamental cast-iron balconies, which rise dramatically to a skylight sixty-one feet above the floor. While standing up in the stacks, I thought about the wealth of knowledge that surrounded me and the meaning and value of knowledge in our lives.
The Bible has a lot to say about knowledge. It teaches that the knowledge of God is the most valuable knowledge a human being can possess. But unlike the books on the library shelves that are used to acquire knowledge, the Bible instructs that simply being aware of God’s existence is not sufficient; the knowledge of God must encompass a relationship with Him. Solomon lamented in Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 that even his unprecedented wisdom did not provide meaning to life. He said to himself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater knowledge than any of them.” So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind (vs. 16-18). What can be gleaned from Solomon’s quest is that the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, without seeking God, is foolishness.
For Christians, knowledge should imply a relationship. Jesus said in John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me, and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep (italics added).” Jesus used the word “know” or knowledge of Him to describe the saving relationship with his followers. It’s not just mere academic head knowledge that brings a sinner to salvation. The Holy Spirit’s spiritual knowledge is imparted to us as a gift that nudges our souls to seek Him and know Him more. Apart from God, human knowledge will lack fruitfulness. We can still value our books and admire stunning libraries, all the while remembering that the knowledge of Christ is to know Him personally, seek a relationship with Him, and to love and be loved by Him. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The photo was taken as I walked into the Peabody Library.