The Fine Line Between Thinking and Rebellion

The sword is an interesting weapon. It is remarkable in its versatility. It can be used in defense quite effectively, or it can be used in offense with deadly force. I believe higher level thinking can be as dangerous.

Place the sword in the wrong hands and it will most certainly be used for evil purposes. Teaching students to think in higher categories without the proper foundation and guidelines, I believe, can be just as dangerous, leading to rebellion.

For example, the Socratic Method is one method of teaching used to spur students on to higher categorical thought. One of its most effective techniques is the question. Students are given questions designed to lead them to the right answer. By definition, the Socratic Method seeks to eliminate any notion of complete understanding of any topic so as to remove barriers that surround a higher level of knowledge. Socrates said that the only thing he knew was that he knew nothing at all. The method acknowledges that belief in anything beyond a shadow of a doubt can be dangerous, and that clinging to what we thought we knew can trap us, keeping us from truly knowing anything. The theory is that this method opens the floor for a dialogue that seeks to uncover true meaning. However, this assumption is false as it assumes there is no truth, absolute or relative.

Here is where we find the fine line between rebellion and higher categorical thinking. It is true; questions are the pavement on the road to higher thought, but there are dangers along the way. Questions, in isolation, are forms of rebellion, and left without answers or without acknowledgment lead, not to higher thought, but to attitudes and dispositions that move away from what a Believer already knows. Contrary to the world's perception, higher thought is not rebellion, and it is not constant negativity. There are answers and there are questions that end with.... answers. There are many questions that lead, not to more questions, but to answers.

If we have learned one thing from the culture of today it is this: consistency and repetition currently define reality for us. If the message is the same (consistent) and it is said enough times (repetition) then there are many who will start to believe the message, especially if it is said in a period of great development and learning, like a school setting.

As Christians, we have a message to deliver to a watching world. It is a message that has more answers than questions, but by believing its message and its answers, we should not think for one moment we are any less intelligent. We should not fall for this insane notion that Christians are less intelligent or in no way can think in higher categories because their beliefs some how block the way. That is a thought pushed by a culture that is hostile to what we believe, and if you are waiting for that hostility to subside, your wait will never end.

There is a fine line between thinking and rebellion, especially in the lives of students. Once upon a time thinking and belief went hand-in-hand, but in a short period of time, we have been led to believe otherwise. Higher categorical thought developed in the wrong setting, given the wrong fuel and nurtured in the wrong way will certainly lead to rebellion, but it never should. There are questions and answers; to pretend there are only questions is certainly the wrong setting, the wrong fuel and the wrong nurturing. May every thought be captive to Him!

Education Troubleshooting

I just read an article in a respected educational magazine that is a little disturbing to me. The article centered on the idea of creating a troubleshooting guide for educators.

The article states,

"The idea of an easily accessible database of common problems has immediate application to the teaching profession. Just as the AutoZone.com troubleshooting guide compiles years of diagnostic experience into a one-stop resource for addressing common car problems, online education troubleshooting guides can now codify predictable instructional rough spots and instantly offer tried-and-true solutions that are based on research and best practice. Educators in schools and school districts across the United States have begun to develop such guides."

Are they serious? Oh, from a distance the idea may have legs... if we are dealing with cars or computers, but we are not. We are dealing with students which should never be treated as a car or a computer.

The article goes on to state,

"The job of teaching is not to "execute" the paper curriculum irrespective of results, any more than it is the coach's job to execute the playbook irrespective of the score. The teacher's job is to flesh out the lessons in the curriculum and adjust instruction whenever needed to ensure optimal learning and performance. Given that purpose, teachers need a curriculum that provides troubleshooting advice and builds in opportunities to alter courses, as warranted."

There are many disturbing issues with this one paragraph, but let's just focus on one... students. Teaching is about students. It is about discipleship, mentoring, modeling and character building. Yes, it is most definitely about math, reading and the other disciplines, but the relationship between teacher and student is of the utmost importance.

This idea of education and troubleshooting is really a symptom of a much larger problem... an increasing student body and a decreasing faculty. Most public sector schools grow larger each year while most faculties remain the same or decrease. What will teachers do with 35 - 45 students in their classrooms? School districts are forced to come up with ideas like this one which appease the issue for the moment, but only for a moment.


Here's an idea... how about hiring more teachers and decreasing class size so each teacher actually knows their students by name? It can be done because private and faith-based schools do it every day for much less than public sector schools. If you are a parent that has a student in a public school, I encourage you to do some digging to see how much money your city/county spends on education. You will be amazed at how much money is spent per student, but then you will be amazed at the sad fact that most of that money never gets to the teacher, the classroom or your student. Instead, it is used at the district level or in the political arena to lobby for a cause that has little to do with education and more to do with an ideology.

As an educator, I am for every student in every school because those students are the future. Those of us in private and faith-based institutions lament with our brother and sister teachers in the public sector as each year it gets all that much more difficult. Do they need a troubleshooting database? Maybe, but what they really need is an environment where they are allowed to teach their students in a way that is personal and loving. Let's pray for some needed change in the right direction.

Culture Defined....

What is culture? It seems to be the word of the decade as everyone is either writing about it or blogging about it... including me. So, what is it, really?

According to Webster's Dictionary, culture is "the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations." It is also "the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group."

When we think of culture we usually think of hearts and minds or worldviews. But, James Davison Hunter, in his new book, To Change the World, describes culture in a very different way. Hunter writes that culture first is a "normative order by which we comprehend others, the larger world, and ourselves and through which we individually and collectively order our experiences." Hunter believes that at the heart of culture are commanding truths that define the "shoulds" and the "should nots" of our experiences.

Hunter believes that culture involves "the obligation to adhere to these truths, obligations that come by virtue of one's membership in a group." Hunter believes culture is "a system of truth claims and moral obligations." It is not simply a worldview but a complexity of norms that affects how we view reality. Hunter writes that culture is not just our view of right and wrong or true and false, but "our understanding of time, space and identity - the very essence of reality as we experience it."

And, right now there continues to be an attack on time, space and identity. We have been trained to look at reality through the lens of others. We have been lulled into a false sense of trust and dependence on others to do our thinking for us, and it gets worse. We have allowed a small majority to define reality for us. Think about how you look at reality... is it through an experience you have had or a show you have watched? Do you define reality through what you know or what a song has taught you? Do you go find out what is true or turn the channel until you find a channel that communicates truth according to your preferred reality?

We are the frog in the frying pan, and the water is almost to a boil. What is truth? Is it what you thought it was, or could it be something totally different? Those of us that are Christians walk to a different beat; a beat that rings true and clear. It is a beat that is consistent and stands up to all applied standards, but it is a beat that is attacked by the world from all sides. When has truth not come under attack?

What are the commanding truths that define you? What are the "shoulds" and "should nots" of your experience? Most of us do not want to think on these things because they are not "fun" and "exciting." But, can you afford, in this day and age, not to think on these things? Blessings!

Ideas Have Consequences

Many years ago Richard M. Weaver wrote an important book known by the title, Ideas Have Consequences. In this book, he writes about this whole idea of culture like no one before him. His purposes are two: first to present an account of the decline of the west through deduction, and second, to present the idea that man should not follow the path of scientific analysis for his moral goodness.

Weaver makes the case that with the banishment of universals from the dialogue of truth, the general idea of what is real has changed, and, in turn, changed general culture putting modern man on the road to empiricism. This movement was not subtle, but it was radical change and, according to Weaver, "it is easy to be blind to the significance of a change because it is remote in time and abstract in character." This denial of universals is a denial of everything transcending and absolute. It seeps into belief and belief is so powerful that it influences every concept connected to it, and before long, if left unchecked, a new doctrine emerges.

Weaver goes into the idea that modern thought has but one purpose, to keep modern man busy with endless induction. Fact has been substituted for truth and an all out attack has been launched on abstract ideas and speculative inquiry. Not much has changed since Weaver's time as both are viewed with a intellectual disdain compared to the much more popular concrete factual data.

Weaver insists modern education is walking the same path as it is "expanding by diffusion until it approaches the point of nullity." Most believe that modern man is far better educated than his predecessor, but is he really? Weaver does not believe so. Weaver addresses the "chip" always thrown into the discussion - literacy rate. It is not that people can read, but instead what they do read, and what they can learn after they have read? Those are Weaver's questions; sure, man can read, but does he?

According to Weaver, ideas have consequences and change the world. From whom those ideas come and from where they come are two very important questions. Weaver raises these and other questions in his book, and understands that culture is formed by ideas. Weaver could not have foreseen Facebook, Twitter and the many other social medias available to all of us. Will ideas spring forth out of these areas? No one knows, but one thing is for sure, the next batch of new ideas will shape our world and forever change it. From where will they come? My prayer is that Christian schools and churches will produce students and people ready to produce the next great new ideas that will truly change the world.

Purpose

Today I walked into one of those defining moments... a dialogue that has the potential to change me forever. The topic of that conversation was purpose.

What do I mean by purpose? Well, it is not as easily defined as I initially thought. For our purposes we define purpose in the following way:

The act of intending to do something; resolution; determination; aim, outcome, goal.

The question passed around the table was this: does everything have a purpose? Or even harder, do you believe that everything has a purpose? As Christians, we are taught to believe that everything has a purpose in the grand scheme of things. We are taught to believe that all that we do we are to do for the glory of God, but there are even more difficult questions regarding this idea. Do you really believe everything has a purpose? Do you live life as if everything has a purpose?

Today, I do not think most of us believe this. We certainly do not live our lives as if this is true, and we do not communicate this truth to our kids, if we do believe it. Why does this matter?

This matters for many reasons but one of the most important reasons is this: if everything has a purpose then whatever we do, regardless of what we do, also has purpose. This flies right into the face of pragmatism, which is the dirty little lie being sold today to all of us. If what we do matters then we are called into whatever we are doing by a Holy God, and that really matters!

If what we do is a calling then we are called to do more than go through the motions for a paycheck. We are called to do more than the minimum; we are called to do more than our job. If everything has purpose then we are called to communicate that truth to anyone who listens because the world is selling another agenda.

The world states that there is no God, and mankind, well, we are all gods. Oh, the word "god" will not be used, but what else would you call being the top of the food chain and the most evolved specie? Since there is no god we all must live our lives selfishly because once we die that is it. How will anyone come out of that mindset with a sense of purpose? They will not, and that is why those of us who know the truth must communicate this whole idea of purpose. Everything has purpose and will impact us in one of two ways: it will be detriment to us or a betterment, but there is no gray error of neutrality where we can just hang out until life gets better.

Life is not going to get any better or easier or more loving or fairer or kinder because it is decaying. Why? Because true life is only found in one place - Jesus Christ! In Christ one changes forever and understands that all of life has purpose.

My parents sent me outside to play often during my childhood. I went outside and played for hours. Was there a purpose in that? To be totally honest, Mom sent me outside so I would be out of the way so she could clean inside... kind of pointless, or so we thought. It turns out there are studies be conducted right now about unsupervised plan, and how are kids today are in need of more of it. This is just one example of how what we might think is pointless ends up being important.

Everything has a purpose. Those of us who get this idea of purpose are not done. We must convey this to the next generation in order that they do the same, on purpose. Blessings!

Another Great Quote

Here is another great quote. Enjoy!

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." Ralph Waldo Emerson

BP and the Government

What has taken place in the Gulf the past 46 days is tragic in more ways than the obvious. Oh, sure, I, like every other breathing person in the world, am upset with BP and their inability to end this madness, but is the responsibility all of BP's to bare?

As I listen to the media and to the government, I am struck by several aspects of their response to this tragedy. The media is almost giddy that this story will not go away, and that they finally have the villain they have desired for so long... a big, bad evil oil company. The government is almost as giddy and seemingly happy to skip to the tune the media hums. Quick to condemn and even quicker to judge and threaten, but in light of all the finger pointing, let me suggest a few thoughts on which we all should chew.

The major barrier to cap this leak is water depth. The leak is under a mile of water; ever care to consider why? The answer is governmental policy. Policy pushed BP and others out deeper into the Gulf. Government now condemns BP for having no plan for an event like this, and rightly so, but what is their plan? Should they have a plan too?

The government continues to promote that BP will pay for the clean up of this mess, yet, this same government never misses a chance to punish BP in the press. Does anyone really believe this was BP's plan? And, if BP was in violation of safety codes, who is responsible for enforcement of those codes? The constant jabs the government takes at BP has stirred the public into actions of rebellion against BP and ensured that the light remains on BP and not on the government. Does anyone think BP will recover as a company from this? And, what happens if BP fails as a company? Who will then clean up or worse, pay for the clean up?

The current government continues to condemn a variety of energies. Let me leave a question: if oil, coal, nuclear power and wind farms are all evil and environmentally unfriendly, what, then are our options?

In light of all of this, I am steadfast in my belief that there is a God, and He is in control. I can't tell you how this particular event fits into His grand plan, but I am sure that it does. As mankind struggles to contain this spill, it will eventually end and the world God created will clean up yet another mess of mankind.

Commencement

As school years across the country come to an end, it is worth noting that most end with some kind of commencement exercise. Which brings up a very interesting question: from where did the tradition of commencement/graduation come?

A graduation ceremony began as a rite of passage for the high school student. This rite of passage marked the movement from child/student to adulthood. "Rite of passage" was termed by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep in 1909 who believed that passage rituals had 3 steps:

(1) Separation from Society
(2) Inculcation-transformation;
(3) Return to Society in the new status.

The baccalaureate/commencement is considered the highlight of the school year and a time to formally recognize the achievements of students who are in honor societies and who have earned academic excellence. It was originally for those who truly studied, did not cheat or steal ideas off others and were honest. It was for those students who did not settle for "status quo" grades but worked to be the best of what they could be. Legend states the Baccalaureate ceremony originated in 1432 at Oxford University, and it required each bachelor to deliver a sermon in Latin as part of the academic exercise. The baccalaureate was a separate service in years past, but today is blended into to most commencement exercises in the form of a commencement speech.

Commencement for Westminster Christian Academy is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the senior class, but it is also the last statement the school makes to the senior class as they leave the life of student and move to the life of adult. Congratulations to all of this year's graduates! The end of one thing is almost always the beginning of something else. My pray is that each graduate is ready for the new season that awaits them. Blessings!