How long will you worship dumb idols and run after false gods?
- From Psalm 4
In 2018, everybody's concerned about being real. They're obsessed with not being "fake."
Our of their mouths, they talk about being authentic, genuine . . . being who they really are.
And then they spend small fortunes having experiences and changing things about themselves that are not . . . well . . . organic.
If I point out everything that I think is fake . . . perhaps it will make my dissatisfaction with myself seem genuine.
Humanity has had a problem discerning what's fake from what's real, since the very beginning. Adam's explanation to God was fake . . . but he tried to rationalize it with a marginally true statement "I saw that I was naked and I was afraid."
Cain's desire to please God was fake (by their fruits are they known) and he committed the first act of terrorism and hate.
We educate our children, because we want them to be able to discern between the fake and the real. But rather than give them the tools to understand, question, and use evidence, we try to tell them what to think as well. We really don't trust others to come to the right conclusions (our conclusions) and we really don't even trust ourselves to be able to effectively train them in the right way . . . so we tell them what to think.
We believe that young people that believe as we do are virtuous, wise beyond their years, and courageous.
God told us to resist false, or fake, gods. We have to be told this, because we are so wont to go after what's fake. If we're honest with ourselves, we indeed have a problem with this. Every one of us. Even Bill Nye.
Fake self-image. Fake priorities. Fake opinions. Fake goals. Fake knowledge. Fake news. Fake science. Fake hate. Fake love.
Fake fake.
It's a four-letter word that sounds like the granddaddy of four-letter words.
We're so obsessed with not being fake, that we become fake. We manifest it in our finger-pointing. Our witch hunts. Our modern-day inquisitions.
If I can prove that you're fake, then I become more real.
There's not an iota of unconditional love in any of it.
How about this:
Rather than try so hard to make others unfake . . . rather than having such a focus on methods and processes, teaching models and theories, and research-driven plans and programs, let's start with basic humility.
"I am here to teach you how to tell the difference between right and wrong, between what is real and what is false.
LESSON ONE: I'm as likely to be at fault as anybody. Teachers, scientists, pastors, doctors, parents . . . and you . . . are all human. We're not perfect. We are subject to being in error. We're wrong more than we're right.
"But it's okay. You have great value anyway. I accept you. And here, we all accept each other, and together we'll challenge each other to improve our thinking. We'll learn from one another, and open each other's minds to the wonders, and truths, of the universe."
Realizing that you have limited understanding, and that you probably are, even now . . . buying into something that is not real (focus on yourself, not on other people's errors) . . .
Is the most real thing of all.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Teaching and Learning VI
And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.
- From Acts 3
"Ignorance." It has become a common word on Social Media. Here are some others"
- From Acts 3
"Ignorance." It has become a common word on Social Media. Here are some others"
- Fear
- Hate
- Fake
- Hypocrisy
- Privilege
And we need to stop. Just stop.
What is so terrible about admitting that we're ignorant? Not the other person: You, or me. Why is it always the other person that is ignorant? Why does the other person act from fear?
We're so desperate to be in some advantage over other people: To have more power, more prestige, more privilege, more beauty, more money, more intelligence.
More logic.
Just stop.
If Jesus was the Son of God, and if He really did come back from the dead, then there really is no other way to describe his murderers:
"Ignorant."
But Peter didn't call them ignorant as an insult. Ignorance is not the same as stupidity. Ignorance and ignore come from the same root. An ignorant person, isn't dumb . . . they have just chosen not to notice. They have other concerns or priorities.
Peter said "My friends - - - it's only because you were ignorant."
They didn't know what they were doing, and how could they?
So don't take the accusation of ignorance so personally. In the first place, we might as well admit that we all are ignorant. How can we have perfect knowledge?
And secondly, we don't know any better, and neither do those others.
And before we go around noticing everybody else's ignorance . . . how about start by realizing we've got our problem in that area?
Friday, April 13, 2018
Teaching and Learning V
Thus it is written . . .
- From Luke 24
The statement "This it is written . . . " followed by some words of wisdom, prophecy, or divine directive, probably has always merited a response such as:
So what?
Just because something is "written," we have to stop what we're doing? Really, why does being "written" make a difference?
It certainly mattered more in the days before typewriters and computers. When you have to write everything out in long-hand, by that virtue alone you make it important. It is important because a person's time is important. For most of human history, the role of "scribe" was very important indeed! We paid them good money to get the most important thoughts of our time down, permanently, for the ages.
We seem to think that something in writing automatically carries with it some level of authority, or reliability. "I read it on the Internet." It's as if we know it takes talent, and time, to write one's thoughts down, even if via a keyboard. We have some respect for a person's thoughts, especially when they write them down.
It seems like the most common method of teaching, is to give people something to read, and then something to write. And the best way to learn is to read, and then to write. Abraham Lincoln was our smartest President . . . yet he had no formal education. He just did a lot of reading.
Jesus said "It is written," in the context of His own death and resurrection. In other words: "It's okay that you have seen me alive, after my death. You've touched me and talked with me. But the important thing is that this was all written about, long ago. Pass the fish, please."
The Son of God basically said that "This is the most important thing you should be teaching one another. I'm alive." And indeed it is. Such a claim, that had such an impact on history, definitely needs to be investigated and taught . . . even to non-believers. It it's not true, then why is it so impactful? If true, then what's our problem?
The Lord left us a lot of information, in writing. The first step in learning, and becoming all that we can as humans, is to read it.
- From Luke 24
The statement "This it is written . . . " followed by some words of wisdom, prophecy, or divine directive, probably has always merited a response such as:
So what?
Just because something is "written," we have to stop what we're doing? Really, why does being "written" make a difference?
It certainly mattered more in the days before typewriters and computers. When you have to write everything out in long-hand, by that virtue alone you make it important. It is important because a person's time is important. For most of human history, the role of "scribe" was very important indeed! We paid them good money to get the most important thoughts of our time down, permanently, for the ages.
We seem to think that something in writing automatically carries with it some level of authority, or reliability. "I read it on the Internet." It's as if we know it takes talent, and time, to write one's thoughts down, even if via a keyboard. We have some respect for a person's thoughts, especially when they write them down.
It seems like the most common method of teaching, is to give people something to read, and then something to write. And the best way to learn is to read, and then to write. Abraham Lincoln was our smartest President . . . yet he had no formal education. He just did a lot of reading.
Jesus said "It is written," in the context of His own death and resurrection. In other words: "It's okay that you have seen me alive, after my death. You've touched me and talked with me. But the important thing is that this was all written about, long ago. Pass the fish, please."
The Son of God basically said that "This is the most important thing you should be teaching one another. I'm alive." And indeed it is. Such a claim, that had such an impact on history, definitely needs to be investigated and taught . . . even to non-believers. It it's not true, then why is it so impactful? If true, then what's our problem?
The Lord left us a lot of information, in writing. The first step in learning, and becoming all that we can as humans, is to read it.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Teaching and Learning IV
...that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.
- From 1 John 3
Jesus said that, to enter into the Kingdom of God, you must become as a child.
But was He talking about a child living in Judea, ca AD 30? Can we include children in 2018, in the list?
Must we become like a child that backtalks his or her parents? A child that has seen any kind of porn imaginable by the time he's eleven? A child that has no siblings and lives with his mother and step-dad? A child that has every material possession he could want?
Of course . . . yes, those children are included. Children in Christ's day were not perfect. And we have to believe that children are still children, no matter how much we age them with our racy culture.
Maturity takes time and experience. And a spoiled brat can still cry, can feel lonely, can yearn to be loved. A child that has seen it all, still would never dream of shooting up a crowd, or taking his or her own life, or throwing away her entire future on drugs . . . at least not until she's thirteen years old.
Children are children, even if we introduce evil to them, at too young of an age.
And our attitude should be that of children. We are children. And if we're honest we will observe adults that act as childish as children. They (we) do that all the time. And this is why we need Christ.
Our attitude, as teachers and mentors must be humbled by the realization that we are children too. We're just bigger than the youngsters.
- From 1 John 3
Jesus said that, to enter into the Kingdom of God, you must become as a child.
But was He talking about a child living in Judea, ca AD 30? Can we include children in 2018, in the list?
Must we become like a child that backtalks his or her parents? A child that has seen any kind of porn imaginable by the time he's eleven? A child that has no siblings and lives with his mother and step-dad? A child that has every material possession he could want?
Of course . . . yes, those children are included. Children in Christ's day were not perfect. And we have to believe that children are still children, no matter how much we age them with our racy culture.
Maturity takes time and experience. And a spoiled brat can still cry, can feel lonely, can yearn to be loved. A child that has seen it all, still would never dream of shooting up a crowd, or taking his or her own life, or throwing away her entire future on drugs . . . at least not until she's thirteen years old.
Children are children, even if we introduce evil to them, at too young of an age.
And our attitude should be that of children. We are children. And if we're honest we will observe adults that act as childish as children. They (we) do that all the time. And this is why we need Christ.
Our attitude, as teachers and mentors must be humbled by the realization that we are children too. We're just bigger than the youngsters.
Monday, April 9, 2018
Teaching and Learning III
Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! but they are more than I can count....
- From Psalm 40
Here is the greatest wisdom in the universe, and it's the single thing that sets the faith community apart from the scientific community (there really should be no division between them):
The Faith Community realizes that it does not know everything. And it is this awareness that drives it forward, toward progress: real progress, true progress, social justice, equity, peace, and goodwill.
But Science, in every age, seems to believe it knows it all.
How can we but conclude, that Science today understands less than 1% of the Universe's knowledge? Even the Internet today only contains a sliver of what essentially is an infinite store of wonder and mystery.
Science forges ahead and creates its innovations. It rushes its technologies out there so fast, that in 2018 the average twelve year old has already viewed anything imaginable: the beautiful, the sad, the horrible, the vulgar. It's all out there for our youngsters.
But Faith says "We don't know it all. Let's be careful." And urges caution. Faith seeks the balance of what we know with what we don't know. Faith honors the wisdom of the ages . . . it is a push-back against the impulsiveness of each new generation. And yet Faith is open to all new possibilities, while Science seems in a hurry to find some dead-end in human progress. "There. That's all there is."
In the Church Calendar, today is a "full circle" day. It is the Annunciation - the day that the Angel appeared to Mary and promised she would bear a son later that year. Easter ends . . . and the waiting period, for the coming Messiah, begins.
Extreme Science met Extreme Faith on the day that Christ was conceived. The ultimate question of Faith and Science is, "Why?"
It should come as no surprise to Science, that whatever force launched everything in the first place, could launch everything again, but this time more naturally. The Son of God had to be just like us . . . He had to born like us and have all the same senses. He had to be mortal.
The idea of God intersecting the eternal plane with our mortal realm is astounding, and caused the Psalmist to exclaim what should be heard in every classroom in the world: "It's so wonderful I could never totally explain it!"
God leaves breadcrumbs for Science, through the Faith community.
The Why, as well as the How, and When, and Where . . . all of those basic human questions, begin here.
And it's Science.
- From Psalm 40
Here is the greatest wisdom in the universe, and it's the single thing that sets the faith community apart from the scientific community (there really should be no division between them):
The Faith Community realizes that it does not know everything. And it is this awareness that drives it forward, toward progress: real progress, true progress, social justice, equity, peace, and goodwill.
But Science, in every age, seems to believe it knows it all.
How can we but conclude, that Science today understands less than 1% of the Universe's knowledge? Even the Internet today only contains a sliver of what essentially is an infinite store of wonder and mystery.
Science forges ahead and creates its innovations. It rushes its technologies out there so fast, that in 2018 the average twelve year old has already viewed anything imaginable: the beautiful, the sad, the horrible, the vulgar. It's all out there for our youngsters.
But Faith says "We don't know it all. Let's be careful." And urges caution. Faith seeks the balance of what we know with what we don't know. Faith honors the wisdom of the ages . . . it is a push-back against the impulsiveness of each new generation. And yet Faith is open to all new possibilities, while Science seems in a hurry to find some dead-end in human progress. "There. That's all there is."
In the Church Calendar, today is a "full circle" day. It is the Annunciation - the day that the Angel appeared to Mary and promised she would bear a son later that year. Easter ends . . . and the waiting period, for the coming Messiah, begins.
Extreme Science met Extreme Faith on the day that Christ was conceived. The ultimate question of Faith and Science is, "Why?"
It should come as no surprise to Science, that whatever force launched everything in the first place, could launch everything again, but this time more naturally. The Son of God had to be just like us . . . He had to born like us and have all the same senses. He had to be mortal.
The idea of God intersecting the eternal plane with our mortal realm is astounding, and caused the Psalmist to exclaim what should be heard in every classroom in the world: "It's so wonderful I could never totally explain it!"
God leaves breadcrumbs for Science, through the Faith community.
The Why, as well as the How, and When, and Where . . . all of those basic human questions, begin here.
And it's Science.
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Teaching and Learning II
Out of the mouths of infants and children . . .
- From Psalm 8
As a teacher, I learn more than I teach. This daily exposure to young people, this consistent standard of behavior where everyone in the community is expected to refrain from inappropriate words and deeds, where the rule is that everybody gets treated with kindness, this access to a Principal's Office where all sides are heard and an attempt is made at correct and effective problem-solving; this One Place in society where there is a standard of perfection (100%) and a person may make progress towards it (and is expected to). ...
This makes a person sharp. School is the one place where right behavior is the rule. You can't swear there (if it's wrong to swear, why do so many adults continue to do it?); you can't be a bully (without consequences), and it's very hard to get fired; we are heavily motivated to get the members of our community on board, albeit we may have to set the bar low.
There is an end to the school day. The bell rings, and you're done for today. There are no brownie points for the child that stays "at work" late in the night, simply for the face time. You don't get to skip lunch. You are required to take a recess. And we finish our day relatively early . . . so that you can get some balance in your life (which is good for your productivity). You have time for things like sports, scouts, clubs, visits to the library or a park, or simply, for play.
We have structured school like our lives should be structured. It is a very good template for adults to adopt; and as a teacher it's a given.
We think of kids as innocent and we value that. Adults get arrogant with their successes, their money, their experience. And they get jaded with their failures, their indebtedness, and their scars.
Jesus said to clear the way for kids to find their way to Him. He basically told us to become like children.
But He wants us to become like children, as in . . . those that trust, that are eager to learn, that have open minds, that do not see others as members of a category.
When children are jaded and bitter . . . when they heap scorn upon their elders, peppering their language with vulgar metaphors; when they effect an image that they know will create distance between themselves and others; it only means they are pre-maturely cynical. Why should we desire curmudgeonly teens? Yet, half of our society is celebrating that, even today.
Christ surrounded Himself with mechanics, laborers, people of moderate means . . . people without degrees . . . and they became History's most important teachers and mentors.
The best kids seem to have had great connections with their families: They have life-long warm memories of their grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins. They do not get tangled up in politics, because they value their families, communities, and friends too much for that. It should be society's goal to ensure that that is the first thing we do for our kids.
As a teacher . . . I want kids to see me as someone that accepts them . . . all of them . . . and all of their viewpoints and wonderful distinctive qualities. Our goal for our schools is that they really are a safe place for kids . . . all kids . . . not just the ones that our own political party serves. All of them.
And that's where it gets hard. It seems impossible.
But Love has never presented itself as easy.
- From Psalm 8
As a teacher, I learn more than I teach. This daily exposure to young people, this consistent standard of behavior where everyone in the community is expected to refrain from inappropriate words and deeds, where the rule is that everybody gets treated with kindness, this access to a Principal's Office where all sides are heard and an attempt is made at correct and effective problem-solving; this One Place in society where there is a standard of perfection (100%) and a person may make progress towards it (and is expected to). ...
This makes a person sharp. School is the one place where right behavior is the rule. You can't swear there (if it's wrong to swear, why do so many adults continue to do it?); you can't be a bully (without consequences), and it's very hard to get fired; we are heavily motivated to get the members of our community on board, albeit we may have to set the bar low.
There is an end to the school day. The bell rings, and you're done for today. There are no brownie points for the child that stays "at work" late in the night, simply for the face time. You don't get to skip lunch. You are required to take a recess. And we finish our day relatively early . . . so that you can get some balance in your life (which is good for your productivity). You have time for things like sports, scouts, clubs, visits to the library or a park, or simply, for play.
We have structured school like our lives should be structured. It is a very good template for adults to adopt; and as a teacher it's a given.
We think of kids as innocent and we value that. Adults get arrogant with their successes, their money, their experience. And they get jaded with their failures, their indebtedness, and their scars.
Jesus said to clear the way for kids to find their way to Him. He basically told us to become like children.
But He wants us to become like children, as in . . . those that trust, that are eager to learn, that have open minds, that do not see others as members of a category.
When children are jaded and bitter . . . when they heap scorn upon their elders, peppering their language with vulgar metaphors; when they effect an image that they know will create distance between themselves and others; it only means they are pre-maturely cynical. Why should we desire curmudgeonly teens? Yet, half of our society is celebrating that, even today.
Christ surrounded Himself with mechanics, laborers, people of moderate means . . . people without degrees . . . and they became History's most important teachers and mentors.
The best kids seem to have had great connections with their families: They have life-long warm memories of their grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins. They do not get tangled up in politics, because they value their families, communities, and friends too much for that. It should be society's goal to ensure that that is the first thing we do for our kids.
As a teacher . . . I want kids to see me as someone that accepts them . . . all of them . . . and all of their viewpoints and wonderful distinctive qualities. Our goal for our schools is that they really are a safe place for kids . . . all kids . . . not just the ones that our own political party serves. All of them.
And that's where it gets hard. It seems impossible.
But Love has never presented itself as easy.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Teaching and Learning
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart ...
- From the Second Chapter of Acts
It's hard to be liberal in so many things . . . yet not to want to be affiliated with liberals. The condescension, the patronizing, the haughtiness, the arrogance.
If you would be persuasive, be persuadable.
If you want to tear down pride, overcome others with humility.
If you would be an effective teacher, be an effective learner.
When I hear good, solid, decent, honest, hard-working and charitable people called "deplorable" by a high and mighty person, I'm taken back to the schoolyard as a popular kid rounds up a little gang to mock the kids that are shy, overweight, of average grades, not athletic. And usually it was much worse than just mocking.
When in the workplace, a person is discovered to be a Christian, and her co-workers seem to double down on the vulgarity and irreverence, just for sport, it makes me recall high school scenes where you didn't dare befriend the friendless kid, lest you be cast the same aspersions.
As a student in K-12 public schools, and then as a college student getting three degrees, I found it insulting for a teacher or professor to be so obviously one way politically, and to have no shame in flaunting his intelligence over students that stupidly supported other candidates. It was ugly, whether it came from the Left or Right; whether it was the one McGovern supporter in my 7th grade Social Studies class with a Republican teacher, or a modern teacher heaping public scorn upon The President (and therefore, his voters . . . and their children!)
Immediately after Christ's resurrection, the Apostles began preaching, and in the first wave, Peter was the main one. He was the first figurehead of the new movement. He minced no words and he took no prisoners. In the parlance of 20th Century campmeeting evangelists, he stepped on a lot of toes. This is something we rarely see today. We don't want to offend anybody!
And in the purity and credibility of the message, the people responded readily. Far from being offended, they were cut to the heart! They were moved, they wept. They felt pangs of guilt as they admitted their role in killing the Son of God!
They said "What must we do?!"
So many modern problems stem from a failure of people, especially people in authority - people with wealth, people that boss around others, people with talents, good-looking people, people that teach - to do whatever they do, with humility.
Oh no! I messed up! What should I do now?
We're so worred about offending 3%, that we insult 30%. We're so dismissive of lesser mortals, that we forget that we can learn from them, and that they have wisdom we lack.
An initial lesson of Easter is repentance. It's realizing we may be wrong, and then acting according to a simple fact:
We're all in this together. And I need you.
- From the Second Chapter of Acts
It's hard to be liberal in so many things . . . yet not to want to be affiliated with liberals. The condescension, the patronizing, the haughtiness, the arrogance.
If you would be persuasive, be persuadable.
If you want to tear down pride, overcome others with humility.
If you would be an effective teacher, be an effective learner.
When I hear good, solid, decent, honest, hard-working and charitable people called "deplorable" by a high and mighty person, I'm taken back to the schoolyard as a popular kid rounds up a little gang to mock the kids that are shy, overweight, of average grades, not athletic. And usually it was much worse than just mocking.
When in the workplace, a person is discovered to be a Christian, and her co-workers seem to double down on the vulgarity and irreverence, just for sport, it makes me recall high school scenes where you didn't dare befriend the friendless kid, lest you be cast the same aspersions.
As a student in K-12 public schools, and then as a college student getting three degrees, I found it insulting for a teacher or professor to be so obviously one way politically, and to have no shame in flaunting his intelligence over students that stupidly supported other candidates. It was ugly, whether it came from the Left or Right; whether it was the one McGovern supporter in my 7th grade Social Studies class with a Republican teacher, or a modern teacher heaping public scorn upon The President (and therefore, his voters . . . and their children!)
Immediately after Christ's resurrection, the Apostles began preaching, and in the first wave, Peter was the main one. He was the first figurehead of the new movement. He minced no words and he took no prisoners. In the parlance of 20th Century campmeeting evangelists, he stepped on a lot of toes. This is something we rarely see today. We don't want to offend anybody!
And in the purity and credibility of the message, the people responded readily. Far from being offended, they were cut to the heart! They were moved, they wept. They felt pangs of guilt as they admitted their role in killing the Son of God!
They said "What must we do?!"
So many modern problems stem from a failure of people, especially people in authority - people with wealth, people that boss around others, people with talents, good-looking people, people that teach - to do whatever they do, with humility.
Oh no! I messed up! What should I do now?
We're so worred about offending 3%, that we insult 30%. We're so dismissive of lesser mortals, that we forget that we can learn from them, and that they have wisdom we lack.
An initial lesson of Easter is repentance. It's realizing we may be wrong, and then acting according to a simple fact:
We're all in this together. And I need you.
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