Wise Heart

When Solomon asked for “an understanding heart,” to judge the people, God answered the request: “I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you” (1 Kgs. 3:12). Some say wisdom comes with age. There’s truth in that, but there are persons wise beyond their years. One such person is Amanda Gorman, the youngest person to deliver a poem at a presidential inauguration. Her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” will continue to inspire down the decades. Gorman begins “When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in the never-ending shade?” Acknowledging our country’s differences, she seeks “harmony for all.” Her wisdom is again displayed in these lines: “If we merge mercy with might and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children’s birthright.” The last phrase of “The Hill We Climb” attests to Gorman’s mature wisdom, as she says “The new dawn blooms… If only we’re brave enough to see it, If only we’re brave enough to be it.”