Contents:
I APPRECIATE YOU
GOODBYES AND REUNIONS
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
PARTING WORDS
Greetings and salutations,
As Andrews University and the Adventist Accrediting Association continue to roam the campus, evaluating the offerings of Caribbean Union College, to further develop the relationship that exists between us and those associations. It’s a nice experience, for some… not so nice for others, but a necessary practice. It reminds me of the importance of self evaluation – “Examine yourselves, to see if you are still in the faith” says Paul. And if we do, then there’s no need for us to judge others, or for us to expect others to judge us…
Every now and then, someone tells us thank you, and we get a kind of warm and fuzzy feeling inside, because it reminds us for that brief and fleeting moment, that we are special in someone’s eyes – that something that we do fills the life of others with joy – that somehow we are meeting the command of Jesus to love one another. It is nice to be appreciated. And sometimes, the appreciation comes nonverbally – in a smile, a touch, a brightening of the visage… Sometimes, it comes in a card, a bunch of flowers, a returned invitation. But whenever it comes, however it comes, it is welcome.
Have you ever imagined, or perhaps experienced, what it is like to be taken for granted? I’m a musician, and although I do not find my fulfillment as a musician in the response of others to my service. However, every now and then, you play in a concert, or for a banquet, or a wedding, or a church service, or some other event, and no-one says a word of thanks to you. And sometimes, the organizers will go through the trouble of thanking everyone else, and leave out the musicians.
Now, of course, in a society where background music is popular, it’s understandable that the musician’s role is not necessarily minimized, but just overlooked, and so as a musician, you learn to accept the lack of appreciation not so much as a lack of approval, but as a lack of attention. And for the most part, as you play and sing, and give, you do it for the joy of singing and sharing, for the interaction with the audience, for the belief that your Father is listening with approval to your offering to Him, for the joy of seeing one teary eye as the message touches the hearts of a wandering soul. But every now and then, some of that joy fades. Every now and then, you need some human affirmation of what you are doing. And if you are being taken for granted, there’s nothing there but an empty hollow ringing, or the resounding echo of thanks to everyone but you. Can you imagine (or recall) that feeling? Not very nice, is it?
I remember the experience Jesus related of how he healed ten lepers, and only one returned to say thank you – and even that one was halfway down the road before he remembered. Do you think Jesus was disappointed? Do you think he expected better? I don’t know – Jesus knew the nature of men. His divinity would not have been surprised. But I’ll bet the humanity within him groaned at the lack of gratitude, just as he lamented over the lack of faith, and the unwillingness of Jerusalem to be gathered under his wings. I’ll bet Jesus would have been delighted if all of them had come back to say thanks, and I’ll bet the people you touch would similarly be delighted, because I’ll bet some of them have gotten pretty jaded… only having people talk to them when they have something to complain about… it’s got to be an empty existence, being marginalized by society.
So I challenge you – don’t let anyone else ever feel that way. You rub shoulders with people every day. You experience positive feelings from what they do for you. Maybe it’s the cook in the cafeteria, who consistently provides food you enjoy eating (sometimes =)). Maybe it’s the secretary at your office, upon whom you rely continually. Maybe it’s your mom who’s always there with uncontrolling wisdom. Maybe it’s your department head whose guidance is invaluable. Perhaps it’s your Pastor, whose message inspires you to live out your faith in Christ. Maybe it’s one of your children, whose affection reminds you of the joy of simple things in life. Maybe it’s your police services or security, who keep you safe. Perhaps the janitorial and maintenance staff of your office. I could go on forever, and I’m sure you could too. But I challenge you: start it this week, and keep it going if you find that it something you want to do – let them know that you appreciate them. And, I would recommend that you start with the people you believe would most feel taken for granted. Whether with a small token, a card, a smile, a touch, a word – let them know that they are appreciated. This life is too short for regrets, and you would want the people who have enhanced your life to know that they are special to you.
So, as I begin this Point of View, I just want each of you to know how
much I appreciate your willingness to be an audience to my sharing.
As a musician needs a listener, an artist needs a viewer, a leader needs
followers, so a writer needs a reader. And so, I appreciate you.
Thanks for being there. =)
“I’m glad I got to know you, you’ve been a friend to me
You made me laugh, we shared some tears, we grew in unity
But now the time has come to part, I’ll always hold in my heart
And on some far and peaceful shore, I know I’ll find you there
Goodbye is never forever
The Father’s love will keep us close until the end of time
And when I stand before the throne of heaven
I want to hold your hand in mine”
Goodbye… that’s an interesting word. I understand the original
meaning was “God be with ye” – a blessing to give to one who is parting
from us. Since I came to Trinidad, I’ve made some good friends, and
it has seemed to be the pattern that most of those I befriended have left
the island for other shores and other opportunities. There’s something
about goodbye that brings pain and sorrow. The tearful farewells
at the airport. The “final” farewells at the graveside. The
hugs, the gifts, the smiles, the waves. All rituals of a society
that has become so transient that no-one stays where they are for very
long anymore. I don’t like goodbyes.
I remember when I used to work at New Frenda Youth Camp in Central
Ontario, and after spending a week or two bonding with delightful young
people, they would leave to go home. The Saturday night before their
Sunday departure, we would have a talent night – a communal celebration
of the human spirit – and usually I would sing for the kids “Goodbye is
never forever”
“The week has been a good one, there wasn’t too much rain
We lived through a tornado, and we had ‘bout seven sprains
Tomorrow you’ll be leaving here, we hope to see you all next year
If not, don’t worry, have no fear, we’ll be together again
Goodbye is never forever…”
And sometimes, there would be many a teary eye as the kids reflected on the relationships they had formed, and the pain of separation from loved ones. But the words of the song speak to the one good thing about good bye. The saying “parting is such sweet sorrow” has a sweetness in it. And that sweetness is reunion. When you have not seen someone you love for a long time, the thought of seeing them again can make your heart jump. The moment of meeting, the brightening of the eyes, the quickening of the heartbeat, the warmth of the embrace, can almost make the goodbye worth it. Even the goodbye of death isn’t final. We will meet again, if Jesus’ life is in us. If you go to a Christian funeral, you will usually find that the atmosphere isn’t so much a dark and mournful event, as a celebration of life. The goodbye is overshadowed by the hope of meeting again. To borrow some lines from Richard Smallwood,
“I’ll see you again, where the sun is always shining
I’ll see you again, where sorrows are no more
When we join hands together, and we’ll sing around the throne
Can’t hardly wait till the day I’ll see you again
Till we meet, till we meet, till we meet at Jesus’ feet
Till we meet, till we meet, God be with you till we meet again”
Goodbye doesn’t have to be forever, but it may be painful. Hold
on to the hope. You will see those you love again, if not here, then
There.
So why am I here? What’s my purpose as a teacher? I’ve always felt that education is to teach people how to think. To foster in them a spirit of inquiry that allows them to creatively explore the world to find solutions to the problems that we all face. To understand the principles of a subject with the ability to apply the concepts to the real world.
But you know, as I look at the educational system, it appears that this may not be the purpose of education. Consider this: People pay for performance. If you are an athlete, and you can perform, you are highly paid. If you are a singer, and you can perform, you make money. (Consider Milli Vanilli – who didn’t even sing, but simply performed). If you can do the job, you are valued by society. It doesn’t necessarily make a difference if you understand what you’re doing, as long as you can perform.
Take that does to the educational level – school is about learning how to handle the evaluation instruments of your teachers. It’s not necessarily about learning the concepts and understanding them (although that might help with performance) but it’s about performance. If you can plug in numbers into equations for math, if you can duplicate experiments in science, if you can create economic graphs, if you can cook meals in home economics, if you can play a musical instrument, you get the grade! But you may not understand what you’re doing. And if that’s the case, are you really educated?
But the thing is, if our society doesn’t reward those who understand, but those who only perform, then is our education system failing if it produces what society seems to want?
Now, I’m not suggesting that if you can perform and understand, society won’t value you. But I am suggesting that our society seems to care more about performance than about understanding.
What we need, and what has been shared with us, is a need for a revolution in education that increases understanding without sacrificing performance. And through methods such as Peer Teaching, and interactive classroom techniques, understanding can be taught. This week, my eyes have been opened a little to some more of the methods of bringing about a change in my methods of working with my students.
The challenge now to me, is shifting their way of thinking out of purely performance oriented (“can you do another example, sir?”) into understanding and applying (“so, if we spend more money, the economy really will grow?”).
Now, just to touch on a spiritual application here, it’s funny how in
some cases, we have learned how to “walk the walk” even without understanding
the why’s and the wherefores, and we have encouraged our children to “perform”
without understanding. Let us keep in mind that Jesus doesn’t grade
performance, he recognizes acceptance. Acceptance of Jesus as Lord
and Saviour. Let us accept, and He will bring about the performance
in us.
Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber, railed against technology in his Manifesto. This week, I was reminded of my dependence on technology, almost for my existence. My computer experienced corruption of certain files… and it almost paralyzed me. Things are okay now, but I was reminded of my dependence… Never depend on anything but Jesus, ‘cause the rest will let you down. Maybe sooner, maybe later, maybe big, maybe small, but “heaven and earth will pass away” but the Word will never pass away.
Love and blessings,
Dave.