Mondayitis! series (part four)
“The World is Not an Oyster”
Small group devotion
The purpose of this discussion is to discuss what God’s wisdom looks like compared to our wisdom, which is rooted in selfish ambition.
Jordan began with this comical news article about a popular vote that went awry. What are some other instances in your life where public/popular wisdom is simply not the best choice? (Check out leader’s notes (1) for some ideas)
James talks about two sorts of wisdom. Listen out for what defines both types of wisdom. Read James 3:13-18.
What were the two sorts of wisdom? Do you notice both in your day-to-day lives? What do they look like in practice?
Jordan referenced this song by the Phoenix Foundation. You may like to watch the whole thing, but the part that he referenced is from 2’57”:
The lyrics are printed here:
Don’t let anyone tell you you’re special,
don’t let anyone tell you that all your dreams will come true,
don’t let anyone say that the world is your oyster…
…the world is not an oyster.
The world is a cold, dark planet floating through infinite space
on a ceaseless journey to its own destruction.
And all we can do about it is be alright about things
and get on with stuff.
You’re not a loser,
you’re a human.
And I love you.
Do you agree or disagree with the Phoenix Foundation? Check out Leader’s notes (2) to help guide this discussion.
In the song, the Phoenix Foundation criticise the saying “the world is your oyster”. Compare and contrast this saying with the passage in James.
In what ways is this mentality prevalent today? Is it a good or a bad thing? Why?
How does God’s wisdom speak into all this?
As Christians living according to God’s wisdom, what does this mean for how we live our lives?
How can you “sow peace” at uni/in your workplace?
Leader’s Notes
- Depending on your group, you may want to keep this quite practical and grounded in everyday issues e.g. peer pressure to behave or dress a certain way, popular wisdom on what beauty is etc. Alternatively you could go more in depth into some global issues e.g. our societies consumer mentality, the “Donald Trump” phenomenon, the refugee crisis and Islamophobia — how does popular opinion shape our climate of fear and distrust?
- The Phoenix Foundation often adopt a “secular humanist” perspective. That is, they don’t believe in God but believe that humanity should care for and love one another. We might want to disagree with their perspective and say that there is a God, and that God has created this world with a good purpose. Humanity is created in the image of God and we all find identity and worth in the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, each and every one of us is inherently special. We are sons and daughters of God!
But we may also want to agree with the Phoenix Foundation in criticising the assumption that “the world is our oyster” to be used and abused, to benefit us, to bend to our utilitarian purposes. This mentality underlies our over-consumption, the growing gap between rich and poor, climate change crisis etc. This is the “wisdom from below” that James says is rooted in selfish ambition and brings about every evil practice.
While selfish ambition taken to the extreme is looked down upon, being ambitious and confident is highly valued in our society. But God’s wisdom as described by James seems to suggest a contrary way of living life.