Reflection by Eric Hughes.
Proverbs 2 (NLT) certainly latched on to the notion of treasure, mentioning it three times in the first seven verses. It begins with a somewhat ambiguous idea of “treasuring my commands”. It’s difficult for myself, and I imagine most who value independence, to hear that with any sort of joy. I have the head knowledge that’s been almost autonomically instilled since youth that God’s commands are for our own good. Yet that’s more of a distant droning then something that fills my heart and overflows with vitality. Thankfully there is another image that begins to form with a few of the following invitations. The subsequent request is to “Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding”. I like the image of an instrument (or body) that is functioning, but not in its most ideal form. It’s beautiful, but with a small adjustment it can resonate beauty. If it could just shift slightly there would be a new perspective that brings it in harmony with the world around it. The writer seems to be asking for a volition that moves us from a point of stasis to awareness. Following, are several more verbs beckoning an intentionality: “Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.” Interestingly, all the requested actions for finding “treasure” can be accomplished without going anywhere. The shift is in our mind, heart, and soul and likely requires the catalyst of a routine disruption to recognize it. It seems the author knew how difficult it might be to make such a shift towards awareness, so they request “Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.” Or maybe a more helpful/relevant way to view that for myself is to say, search for them with the same vigor that you would pursue a promotion, bonus, or respect within your field/profession. The third reference, “Treasure of common sense” doesn’t feel much like a treasure, but maybe it’s because I/we have too high of expectations for what a treasure should be. The movies we watched as children showed it as something glorious that fulfilled our wildest dreams. (Consider Goonies for those in my age bracket). Maybe the broad qualitative spectrum for treasure introduced in the proverbs passage points to an idea. Maybe the key to finding your treasure is simply the ability to see something as a treasure. Howard Thurman poses the question “Where is my treasure and what do I love most in life?”, and it seems to emerge from an internal struggle of knowing how to see or gain perspective. Whatever the treasure may be, if we can’t recognize it in breadth it’s lost to complacency. My greatest joys in life are often the seemingly smallest moments wholly recognized for the beauty they carry. I don’t believe there’s any one treasure that I’ll land on, but maybe the word treasure could be substituted with the phrase - being present and fully aware of the fullness that surrounds me/you. In this way treasure is never something I own, it’s a state of mind that can be readily available anytime I’m aware or tuned to find it.
Eric Hughes is an architect in Houston, Texas. He currently attends the episcopal church. On weekends, you’ll likely find Eric outside with his 2 year old, Clark, and wife Emily, or taking the opportunity to get his hands dirty with landscaping, woodworking, and home renovation projects.