Her story:
She doesn’t have a story, really. She is most often associated with wisdom, as her name means exactly that—the words synonymous with one another. She is not a woman in and of herself; instead, a voice, a source of instruction, something/someone to be honored and loved, a living-and-active presence that has been in union with the Divine from the beginning of all things (which we’re rarely-if-ever told).
One passage that reveals her in clear and undeniable ways is in Proverbs 8. It’s a bit long (even with my liberal edits) and it’s worth reading, reveling in, and reflecting on just how powerful and present Sophia is and always has been.
Listen as Wisdom calls out!
Hear as understanding raises her voice!
On the hilltop along the road,
she takes her stand at the crossroads.
By the gates at the entrance to the town,
on the road leading in, she cries aloud,
“I call to you, to all of you!
I raise my voice to all people.
You simple people, use good judgment.
You foolish people, show some understanding.
Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.
Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth
and detest every kind of deception.
My advice is wholesome.
There is nothing devious or crooked in it.
My words are plain to anyone with understanding,
clear to those with knowledge.
Choose my instruction rather than silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with it. . . .
I love all who love me.
Those who search will surely find me. . . .
My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold,
my wages better than sterling silver!
. . . I was appointed in ages past,
at the very first, before the earth began.
I was born before the oceans were created,
before the springs bubbled forth their waters.
Before the mountains were formed,
before the hills, I was born—
. . . I was there when God established the heavens,
when God drew the horizon on the oceans.
I was there when God set the clouds above,
when God established springs deep in the earth.
I was there when God set the limits of the seas,
so they would not spread beyond their boundaries.
And when God marked off the earth’s foundations,
I was the architect at God’s side.
I was God’s constant delight . . .
Joyful are those who listen to me,
watching for me daily at my gates,
waiting for me outside my home!”
In Greek, the word for wisdom is gnosis—a deep intuitive knowledge. Not taught, just known. Older than time. In my language, its that know-that-we-know-that-we-know voice within that can be trusted, that deserves to be trusted, that must be trusted. Jean Shinoda Bolen speaks of this beautifully:
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