The Wise (and Godly) Fool
I am working on an article (actually, hopefully it will be a chapter of a collaborative book. In it, I have a small section on “The Wise Fool.” I am using it in the manner used in Robert Dykstra’s book “Images of Pastoral Care” as the concept is addressed by Allistair Campbell, and Donald Capps. I see it as a useful paradoxical metaphor for ministry. But I decided to look up more on the issue of the Fool.
I found a very interesting book on the topic— “A Social History of the Fool” by Sandra Billington (The Harvester’s Press: 1984). I was a bit surprised to see a chapter on the “Theological and Philosophical Attitudes of the Fool”.
Billington noted that the term “fool” is a bit too encompassing. It needs to be broken down a bit. First, one needs to separate between “Artificial Fools” and “Natural Fools.” A natural fool is one who is by his or her own nature or condition. An artificial fool, on the other hand, is one by choice— essentially one who mimics in some sense the natural fool. Another term for this is “jester.” This is what “The Wise Fool” in in Dykstra’s book is referring to. The jester has a long history in the royal courts around the world. The jester mimics the natural fool or simpleton, but is not one by nature. The jester is normally full of wit. He (assuming that the jester was always a male role, although I haven’t verified if that was universally true) would be a musician, give an appearance that would lighten the mood, and tell stories, jokes, and other things to entertain.
Curiously, in the Bible we may have an example of this in David. I Samuel 16:15-18
15 Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”
17 So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”
18 One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”
While we think of David as simply one who played music for the king who was struggling with something (anger? paranoia? depression?). However, the king’s servants noted other qualities that they felt were important as well. Not only could he sing and play the lyre, but he speaks well and is “fine-looking.” The term “speaks well” suggests a certain skillfulness or even sagacity of speech. That could mean that he is a good storyteller or a sharer of jokes. It may also mean that he could speak wisely, or even prophetically. In the previous chapter, the prophet Samuel had rejected King Saul. Having a young man in which “the Lord is with him” was an added bonus.
Much of these qualities are shared with the jester (or artificial fool). The jester entertains but also shares the truth when others could not would not. The term “jester’s privilege” describes the permission given to a jester to speak things before the court that would not be permitted of others. This not only allowed him to give insults without punishment, but also to express uncomfortable truths. The fact that the jester lived among the nobility but was a commoner also potentially gave him a perspective that the king was normally shielded from. Since most leaders tend to fall into the temptation to surround themselves with the obsequious, the role of the jester can actually be critical for national health.
While the artificial fool can be useful as a metaphor for ministry, there is theological value in the natural fool as well. I was taught that in the Bible, a fool is a morally bankrupt person. The book of Proverbs makes it clear that a fool is one who rejects God and turns to a path of sin and vice. What I was not aware of until I read Bibbington’s book is that there are two Hebrew words the can be translated as fool, and these express two categories of natural fool. One is “Tam” and the other is “Kesil.” (“Nabal” is anot”her one, but is pretty similar to “Kesil”) The first describes what could be called the “Innocent Fool” or one lacking guile. “Tam” can be used simply as being blameless. The other is the “Evil Fool” such as is used in much of Proverbs.
The Innocent Fool has a role in the Bible as well. I Corinthians 4:9-10
For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised.
The innocent fool acts based on integrity rather than for money or prestige. They are often looked down upon as being simpleminded, but also respected often. One might recall the command of Jesus to his followers in Matthew 10:16.
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Perhaps we see the strength and the weakness of an Innocent Fool. An innocent fool is commendable because he is unmoved by greed or temptation. However, he is at risk because he can be too trusting and thus be tricked. One might see Jesus saying, “Be an Innocent Fool in one’s motivations, but at the same time aware of the dangers that lurk around every corner.”
Perhaps the Innocent Fool also relates to Jesus’s idealizing the faith of a young child. The young child believes and trusts implicitly. Clearly, this is not the endpoint. We start as the innocent fool, as the young child, in our faith journey. However, we also need to grow up. In growing up, we still need to hold onto a bit of the Innocent Fool.
