I was reading in Proverbs this morning and there is one verse that strikes me every time I read (well, there are many, but this one struck me from this morning). In 1:5 it says “let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” This verse implies that the wise receive learning, the discerning get guidance, by listening to counsel, to other wise people. This concept actually goes against what I may sometimes subconsciously consider a wise person.

Sometimes, when I think of a wise person, I can imagine that person not needing to get counsel from others, because they are already wise; they have wisdom within themselves. I can almost picture a monk-like person on top of a mountain that people go to for wisdom, but since the monk himself has wisdom, he does not need to go get it anywhere.

Not true!

The wise, the discerning, are wise and discerning precisely because they seek out wisdom, they get counsel, they listen!

This pushes me to ask the question, “Who are the wise, mature, experienced people that I seek out on a regular basis, that I spend time with every week, in order to grow in wisdom and discernment?”

Community is a huge need in my  life. That became shockingly apparent when we first moved to Quebec back in 2003.

When I first got to Quebec and was lacking those relationships, over the course of about 18 months I sank into a pretty deep depression. I’m sure the causes of the depression were multiple, but the lack of deep friendships, authentic and transparent relationships, I’m sure was one of the core elements I that emotionally depleted me. Eventually God brought a few key guys into my life with whom I could journey with. I needed it.

I don’t know how I could have continued without that community.