Friday, January 23, 2009

A Thought

Wisdom is found not in distinguishing right from wrong, but good from best.

4 comments:

Halcyon said...

If I choose the good over the best, am I wrong?

Joshua Andrew Smith said...

Very clever, Mr. Vowell. On the most important level, you are exactly right. However, I believe God gives us freedom enough to sometimes choose between two goods. I think there are many amoral situations in which our wisdom is manifested through the choices we make. "Shall I marry this Godly woman or that one," for example. I do not believe Solomon would have been wrong to ask for prosperity for the kingdom of Israel, but he asked for something better.

Halcyon said...

Ah...interesting.

Halcyon said...

I had a thought. Do with it what you will.

You say that we have the freedom to choose "between two goods," but I am still wondering if it is not wrong to choose the lesser good over the greater good.

In "Perelandra," C.S. Lewis put forth the idea that to cling to a past good when the next good comes along, to choose the lesser good over the greater, is not only wrong but also diabolic (for it is a rejection of God's will).

SO, yes we have the freedom to choose, BUT if we FREELY choose the good over the best, are we wrong?