The Wisdom of the Land
(and Its Inhabitants)

Dr. Alex Haskins

²⁹God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. ³⁰Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. ³²He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. ³³He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. ³⁴ From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. (1 Kings 4:29-34 [NIV], italics my own)

On the last day of our journey in Colombia for the inaugural Stott Faculty Fellows program with Wheaton College, we (the Wheaton College faculty and staff) were asked to share what we had learned from our time of pastoral accompaniment with the varied indigenous leaders and communities of Latin America who were present. I shared the scriptural passage above because I had been reading it for a morning devotional and was struck by how deeply it resonated with all we had been learning from our indigenous sisters and brothers across Latin America.

Time and again, we heard of the importance of the territory—not just for indigenous communities, but for everyone. Those who journeyed with me up north to the Wiwa territory of Santa Marta consistently heard about how the land and animals speak to us (humans), even now for we are all intertwined. “The birds and trees are sacred storytellers,” Ramon, a local leader, shared. Another leader, Santiago, imparted to us that, “Spiritual stories remind us of who we are (spiritual beings) and where we come from.” Despite the ongoing challenges their communities face(d) due to legacies of colonialism, (para)military conflict, increasing encroachment upon and monetization of the land by foreigners and campesinos, the Wiwa remained steadfast in their commitment to their heritage and protecting, caring for, and preserving the land.

Our brother, Elvio (Paraguay), emphasized the point that nature communicates to us all the time in seasons of abundance and not. He implored us to pay attention, as the spiritual world often communicates via the natural world. This was particularly pertinent for him in light of recent forest burning practices, inadvertent wild fires, and flooding in Asunción, Paraguay. “It is our responsibility to work for the environment’s good (not bad), against forest/fauna extinction, and not be like the political authorities who talk a lot but do little.”

Our sister, Naellibellis (Panama), further shared that expressing care was a spiritual practice. “The kingdom of Heaven is made of places we inhabit and we need to have respect for these places. Care for all humans (e.g. mutual aid), the environment, and Mother Earth reflect our imago Dei. Destroying the environment is disrespectful.” She spoke of how the loss of fishing and indigenous theologies directly impacted her people, the Guna. And yet, the Guna have recorded conferences in writing and developed an archive of elder knowledge and institutional bodies for each of the 45 communities to make demands on the government.

In light of these experiences in Santa Marta, the Stott-Bediako forum beforehand in Rionegro, and our debrief sessions traveling back to the U.S. (and since), I find I still have much to learn from the land and those who have committed centuries to ensuring its care. I am encouraged (and I shared this on that final day in Colombia) that Solomon—arguably the wisest figure in the Bible apart from God—“spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls…[and] also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.” There is wisdom in (and of) the land and its inhabitants. Do we have ears to hear?

Dr. Alex Haskins

Politics and International Relations

Reflection written as part of Stott Fellows 2024