Over 2005 years ago, the prophet Daniel said that at the time of the end there would be many people going here and there to increase knowledge (see Daniel 12:4). No doubt, we live today in a time of knowledge explosion, with human knowledge now doubling every 5 years, according to some experts (click here to read a debate about this).
The internet opens up a huge world of information. Many top-tier universities are now giving the public free online access to their best lecturers. YouTube recently launched an education hub called You Tube Edu dedicated exclusively to videos from more than 100 schools. You can pretty much learn about anything you want to – in an instant. The information highway is getting more and more crowded … and moving faster and faster.
Of course, it is one thing to gain KNOWLEDGE and another thing to UNDERSTAND it all. Today people need meaning more than they need more information. Then again, it is yet another thing to have WISDOM to know how to apply all of this knowledge to your life on a daily basis.
A few final thoughts from the sacred text …
"Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don't forget my words or turn away from them. Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown." [Solomon in Proverbs 4:5-9. NLT]
"… my purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." [Paul in Colossians 2:2-3. NIV]
In a world where there is so much contrasting and conflicting information from a range of sources of varied quality and accuracy- we all need to learn new skills to have the wisdom and understanding to function effectively in the world.
You might find the book Five Minds for the Future- Howard Gardner a really good read which has man. He believes that five minds (or ways of thinking) are needed to operate effectively in the emerging knowledge age:
The Disciplinary Mind: the mastery of
major schools of thought, including
science, mathematics, and history, and of
at least one professional craft.
The Synthesizing Mind: the ability to
integrate ideas from different disciplines
or spheres into a coherent whole and to
communicate that integration to others.
The Creating Mind: the capacity to
uncover and clarify new problems,
questions and phenomena.
The Respectful Mind: awareness of and
appreciation for differences among
human beings and human groups.
The Ethical Mind: fulfillment of one’s
responsibilities as a worker and as a
citizen.
I highly recommend it. Not a christian book, but very informative.
Thanks for the tip, Peter!
Here is a great quote on knowledge:
“A man may study because his brain is hungry for knowledge, even Bible knowledge. But he prays because his soul is hungry for God.” ~ Leonard Ravenhill