Conversations Journal existed to bring about honest dialogue on the ways our lives are shaped by God. One of the aims of the publication was to examine themes of Christian spiritual formation through various lenses of the faith (denominations/traditions/streams of Christianity.) This month we’ll be studying the topic, “Wisdom and Aging,” with a re-release of the Spring/Summer 2014 issue on that subject. This issue will have a permanent home here at Conversatio, with a companion course that allows readers to take the topic a bit deeper, and journey into an individual experience of the theme. The course can also be used for groups of friends who may wish to spend some time going through the articles and have a resource for discussion about the topic. The editors invited writers from a variety of Christian traditions, and diversity of ages and backgrounds, to share about how wisdom comes to us from God.
Reflecting on the theme of this issue has reminded me of the importance of surrounding oneself with wise counsel. My children are reaching the ages when my influence as a parent is not as loud as the voices of their peers, or those in a younger age bracket than myself. This shift is normal and expected. It’s necessary to proceed through the developmental milestones to build a healthy differentiated self. But as with a few things related to the aging process—it’s not always easy. I’m grateful for the spiritually mature young people in our family’s life, who are younger and cooler than I am, but older and wiser than my children are. There is such richness to be found in allowing others to help us shepherd the faith journey of our children. Perhaps there is some benefit as well, for the college-aged “kids” who spend time with our family and receive any wisdom we might have to offer, as adults further down the road. I too, long for the company of others who have the wisdom and grace that comes with experiencing more years of life than I have.
Consider this issue of Conversations like a visit with a gentle and wise friend, or in this case, many friends. You’ll hear from voices who have journeyed the path well, and those who are just at the outset. This issue tackled many topics within the framework of aging; mentorship in the church, death and dying, sustaining a healthy marriage, spiritual formation in children, and spiritual practices for the second half of life.
You can eavesdrop on a lovely conversation between Senior Editor Tara Owens, and Eugene Peterson. Many of our long-time contributors appeared in this issue, like Emilie Griffin in her article, “Gathering Wisdom: The Golden Fruit of Later Years.” One of our founding executive editors, Larry Crabb, provided a rich lesson on the importance of community in later years of life. In a poignant essay on being with those who are dying, Valerie Hess and Lane Arnold give us a picture of what it is to “number our days so that we might gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12, NIV). Trevor Hudson wrote a beautiful and moving tribute to his spiritual mentor, Dallas Willard. Dallas’s bold claim that God “is the most joyous being in the universe” caused Trevor to reevaluate his relationship with God, and his own journey with joy.
Paula Hutson shared a lovely essay from her book, A Season of Mystery, in which she offers spiritual practices for embracing the second half of life. We’ve selected that article to be highlighted in the classroom for Wisdom and Aging. Keep turning the pages and you’ll see artwork that inspires, poetry that comforts, and honest words that give purpose for all who are on this journey of being like Jesus.