Ephesians
4:11-14
As we all know, education must aim at achieving
maturity. The very word of “education”
comes from the Latin word “educare,” which means “to lead out.” When this word meets the context of
education, it means “to lead someone from the lower level to the higher
level.” When it is applied to a child,
it simply means “to lead the child from childhood toward maturity.” The development of a human being physically
and mentally is quite helpful in understanding the spiritual development as
well. Ephesians 4:13 points out to the
goal of Christian education
, which is to attain maturity. The maturity that is expected in the spiritual realm is certainly far more superior than the physical and mental maturity as commonly discussed in education. In spiritual growth, the maturity to be attained has the perfect model in place. And the model is no other than the Son of God himself, Jesus Christ. This is a glorious goal. To achieve this goal, one goes beyond even the highest level of thinking as explained by Benjamin Bloom in his taxonomy. We will visit Bloom’s taxonomy later on. But for now, let us dwell for a minute in the glorious goal of attaining maturity to become like Jesus Christ.
, which is to attain maturity. The maturity that is expected in the spiritual realm is certainly far more superior than the physical and mental maturity as commonly discussed in education. In spiritual growth, the maturity to be attained has the perfect model in place. And the model is no other than the Son of God himself, Jesus Christ. This is a glorious goal. To achieve this goal, one goes beyond even the highest level of thinking as explained by Benjamin Bloom in his taxonomy. We will visit Bloom’s taxonomy later on. But for now, let us dwell for a minute in the glorious goal of attaining maturity to become like Jesus Christ.
The perfection of the Son of God becomes the model for
all God’s children. His perfection is
the standard. God does not lower his
standard. The holiness of the Christ,
the love of the Son, the grace and mercy of the Son of man, the firmness of the
Son of God’ justice and truth, his righteousness and uprightness, his character
and wisdom, are the profiles of who we as God’s children should and would become. God is transforming us to become like Jesus
Christ. The journey of the
transformation is not an easy one to tread.
Especially when the road is marked with troubles and sufferings. Moreover, the journey is heavier because of the
body of sin that we still live in.
Temptations come strongly every step we make. Temptation to cheat, temptation to lie,
temptation to disobey, temptation to break law, and so on and so forth. Our imperfection will be replaced by the
perfection of the Son of God. The process
to attain such maturity requires a great deal of humility on our part to obey
the word of God. The standard of the
world does not work here. Only the
standard of the word of God may prevail.
The problem with sin is that as one gives way to it, it
becomes full blown in every corner of one’s being. The most common sinful tendency right now
within Christianity is the tendency to be comfortable. Seeking comfort and the pursuit of
convenience become prominent now in the hearts of many Christians today. It has set in for a long time, caused by a
period of idleness, of which there are no challenges to their faith, everything
is okay, all is safe, life is comfortable, lacking nothing in everything, going
to church becomes mechanistic – a habitual routine that has translated into
tradition, never take faith seriously, never really engage in the discussion of
theology, all they care about is what fun they can have today. This sinful tendency grips so tightly now in
the life of many Christians. When life
challenges come, and when theological challenges arrive, and their equilibrium
is shaken, they become frustrated, depressed, and not a few that then reject
their faith, and certainly plenty who choose to settle prematurely and thus
live in fake equilibrium for the rest of their life. Many have become resistance toward any
disequilibrium. These people do not dare
to take any risk. All they crave is fun
and convenience. They then never grow up
and remain children, “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every
wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” They never attain
that maturity, the full measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. They never understand what it means to live a
true Christian life. They never know
what it means to walk in the faith. When
life gets uncomfortable, often they are busy to find a scapegoat. Instead of reflecting on themselves and
looking carefully into their own hearts, they point fingers to God’s faithful
servants, and also more often than not they point finger to God, and blame him
for causing them the inconvenience.
Wasn’t it Adam who started the finger pointing? To the woman and to God. Maturity then becomes elusive for them. Their spirituality is stagnant. As time goes by, they are given the
responsibility as adults (because their body indicates adulthood), but their
spiritual state is of a 3 year old, still expressing tantrum and irresponsible behaviors. A toddler given the power of an adult. Yes, and they sit in the church as elders and
leaders. Can you guess what will become?
In the world of education, following
Bloom’s taxonomy, those who are prepared to assume leadership position must have
higher level of thinking. There are two
levels of thinking. The lower level and
the higher level. The lower level of
thinking is divided into three stages: remember, understand, and apply. The higher level of thinking is divided into
three as well: analysis, evaluate, and create.
Often people only attain the highest stage in the lower level of
thinking but never got into the higher level of thinking. Or probably more accurately is that often
people do not use their thinking primarily at the higher level. Most people use their thinking capacity
primarily on the lower level. Depending
on the goals of education as stated by the educational body, the curriculum
will be set toward it. For easier
illustration, I will use the formal education body. School, most of the time, has its curriculum
laid out following a certain model of attainment. The question of purpose and goal is
unavoidable in the setting up of the school curriculum. Bloom’s taxonomy helps in determining what
kind of curriculum to be implemented. Quite
often, because the final profile of the graduate is to produce people who could
apply their practical knowledge into the work place, therefore the curriculum
will be set to attain the highest stage of the lower level thinking:
apply. Many vocational colleges and
training are aimed at merely applying their practical knowledge to the
designated area of work in life. The
concentration is only on how accurate the application of the knowledge is. That is why it starts with remember. Remembering is the first step. And remember is needed in order to be accurate. One must remember precisely the
prescription. Everything is mechanistic
here. But remembering alone will not lead
toward apply. There is one more
ingredient to add in order to attain apply.
But the next stage can’t be properly attained without remembering be
honed appropriately. Remembering is the
lowest stage and commonly is the easiest way of learning and thinking. It is merely getting the exact information as
given in the manual. Then one must move
on to the next stage.
Understanding is the foundational mode of thinking for basic
logic. In it one must learn to ascribe
meaning on things. In understanding one
needs to learn to connect the dots between meanings. Understanding is key ingredient before one
moves on to apply. Here one learns basic
principles of meaning such as cause and effect.
The understanding of the basic principles of meaning opens up the world
of imagination into the logical world of “if – then.” The most common way to train in understanding
is through comparing differences.
Through comparing differences one may be able to categorize different
meanings. Through comparing differences
one learns to observe and carefully look into the details. Careful observation and attention to detail
lead toward the skill of connecting the dots, which then leads toward
meaningful interpretation. Once one is
able to interpret meaning, one can be said to comprehend. At this stage, students must start from the
simplest form of understanding to the more complex. The more complex the more data and the more
connections that must be made in order to comprehend the meaning.
Then once comprehension is attained, the next training is to
apply the understanding into practice.
At this stage, the student learns to use the acquired knowledge. There are two different categories here,
first is simply applying the knowledge following the ready path, and second –
which is a bit of higher difficulty – is to use the knowledge to solve simple
problems. The first one is easier
because the student just needs to do as told.
For example the students are taught to do 10 finger typing method. After remembering and understanding, the
students are then to reach the next stage of application. They are expected to apply their knowledge
this time. And so they are given the
task to type using the 10 finger typing method.
The draft is given and all the students need to do is to type it with
the knowledge of 10 finger type method they have acquired. But the second category is a bit more
difficult because it requires the students to recognize the problem before they
are able to apply their acquired knowledge.
At this stage, the problem is not at the complex condition. It is much simpler that it usually doesn’t
require higher level of thinking to solve.
For example, after students learn about addition, they are given math
problems to solve. Say in grade 1,
students learn addition 1-10. Then the
teacher wants the students to apply their knowledge of addition. The teacher gives the students some math
problems to solve. Things like:
5+5=…? Or 3+…=7? In order to solve these math problems, the
students have to pause and then recognize the problem in front of them, and dig
from their training in order to solve the problem. Or even the more difficult problem such as:
the students are to measure 4L water using only 5L and 3L pales. This kind of application doesn’t require
higher level of thinking. It can be
solved by merely remembering and understanding.
Here in this lower level of thinking, creativity is
discouraged. In order to ascertain the
success of the education, students must be taught in such a way as to follow
the prescribed manual. Breaking away
from the manual is feared to lead toward malfunction in the system. And so the model of assessment will be
designed particularly to assure the goal of application be attained. For sure, a certain kind of people will come
out of this system. The kind of people
who are very skillful in applying the prescribed manual. But these kind of people are commonly less
capable to go beyond application. When
there is a problem that they cannot find in their manual, they got disequilibrated
and be lost in confusion. People who
only attain application stage, are not equipped with the skill to analyze.
Now we are entering into the higher
level of thinking domain. The ability to
analyze is in a different level altogether.
At this stage, the students are trained to break down one thing into
parts. To break down something into
parts require knowledge of the thing and of what can be broken down and what
can’t. The students are to figure out
the function of each part, the relationship between parts, the cause and effect
of the function, the pattern of movement – action reaction, the dynamics of the
whole and of the parts and of the connection between parts, including the
limits of each part and of the whole and of the connection, also the potential
and crisis of each and of the whole and of the connection, plus the norm and
the exceptions. Here we are looking at
the more complex system. For example,
the students are trained now to learn about Renaissance Art. They are to find out what makes a piece of
art Renaissance. They need to be able to
break down the complex understanding of the word Renaissance and find out the
parts that compose a Renaissance art. What
style, what color palettes, the brush stroke, the composition, the placement of
the accent, the figures, the attention to details, the philosophy behind it,
the balance between dark and light, the size, the story, and so on. Then how all the parts are combined together,
how they interact with one another, what is the motive of the artist, what the
artist is communicating through his piece of art, what and how the final
product brings in certain feelings, how is the consistency of the artist, and
so forth. This level of thinking is way
above the lower level that we just discussed previously. Because suddenly the world becomes much
bigger, the complexity is enlarged many times over, the context becomes
overwhelming. The problems become way
more difficult. If we continue with our
example of the Renaissance art, we are to deal with a difficult problem of
finding out whether this piece of art in our hands is a Renaissance art or
not. This problem is not simple. The analysis must be made accurately before
one can even proceed to begin to recognize what piece of art it is. But at this stage, the thinking stops at
describing all the facts and tying all together into one coherence whole. At this stage the students are not yet
trained to make the judgment call in order to determine whether this piece of
art is indeed a Renaissance art or not.
The next stage trains the students
to have the conviction to make the judgment.
To have the courage to judge is huge.
It cannot be sustained without a strong conviction of what is right and
what is wrong. Students at this stage
must learn to internalize higher principles.
More often than not the principle that they need to internalize is the
moral principle. Because in the moral
principle one may find the bedrock of judgment.
Students need to learn the truth, because only the truth may convince
them. This is the appeal of
learning. We all learn with the innate
desire to pursue the truth. The truth
compels us. The truth gives us the
unshakeable meaning. The truth gives us
the motivation. The truth gives us
strength to stand. The truth gives us
wisdom to separate the genuine from the fake.
But this is a very difficult stage to master. The stage of analysis prepares students to be
trained in this difficult process. As
much as possible, the graduates of this stage must learn to avoid mistakes at
all cost. Making too many mistakes here
will shake their foundation. If their foundation
is shaken, their conviction will crumble.
If the students do not have the strong conviction anymore, then they may
never pass this stage. To be able to
evaluate a complex matter, the students must not have a shaky foundation. All must be solid. Inability to make a decision is a sign that
one’s conviction is weak. It is
important to know by all students at this stage that being indecisive is in
itself a decision. There are
consequences that follow in every decision or indecision. Often the hardest part of making a judgment
is the responsibility that the person must bear. The question “What if I am wrong?” haunts
many people here. It is true that when
making a wrong judgment one will bear a very heavy burden, which very likely
will wear the person down for the rest of their life. A wrong judgment may lead to
catastrophy. A pilot has to make a
judgment when the plane suffers problems in the sky. The decision that the pilot makes may lead
the plane to avoid the problem or it may bring down the plane. The responsibility is what usually is
avoided, which makes the students hesitating in making any decision. Fear is one of the biggest killer at this
stage. Not many will pass this
stage. The moral integrity must be
strong. This is not a task for the
morally weak. When Confucius was forty,
he said: “At forty, I have no doubts.”
He knew the moral principles inside out.
This is the standard of this stage.
The students are to be trained to achieve the level of having no
doubts. If a pilot is to fly an airplane
and he doesn’t have conviction as to tackle difficult problems of life and
death in the sky, then the pilot is unfit to fly a plane. This is a very high level of thinking.
The last stage is Create. Creativity becomes the most important
ingredient at this stage. After passing
through all five stages, the students now may have the freedom to be
creative. At this point, the students
are expected to abide by the unshakeable principles. The discipline must have been in place and
must have become their way of life. This
stage is not for those who are undisciplined.
The undisciplined mind will only do harm. The undisciplined mind will create something
unsustainable. Their creation will be
wild and prove harmful. Jumping too
early to this stage will give birth to chaos.
Students must not prematurely be pushed toward this stage. This doesn’t mean that creativity cannot be
nurtured even when they have not developed the evaluation stage. For sure it can. But teachers must be extra cautious in doing
so. Teachers must be highly disciplined
in order to guide the mind of the students.
Here, honor and respect are key to sustain creativity that is fruitful. For example, highly disciplined music
teachers will not allow their students to wildly create music before they even
understand the essence of music. In
order to be able to create a high level music, students must respect music the
way it should be respected. They cannot
take music lightly and create just any coordinated sounds and call it
music. To be able to create something
meaningful and valuable and fruitful, the students must watch themselves
carefully. When Confucius was 70, he
said: “At seventy, I can do whatever my heart desire without breaking any
law.” This is the moral level that must
be attained before one may begin creating anything complex of a big magnitude
that affect the life of many. It would
be unthinkable for an undisciplined mind to finally create a self sustaining
bomb that will never stop exploding.
This is not something that we can take lightly. There are rules and regulations that must be
followed in this life. Breaking away
from the proper rules and regulations may prove fatal in the end. The movie series “Resident Evil” is an
imagination of what might happen if creativity is not limited within the
confound of moral discipline. The virus
that is created for the purpose to make soldiers strong and fearless and
senseless has created a disaster, which the entire world is wiped out by the
deadly virus that turns normal human being into zombie. This is just an imagination, but in that
imagination is found the reasonable logic of what might happen if creativity
runs wild. Again, this is an extremely
difficult stage to pass.
The higher level of thinking is
necessary for people who are to assume leadership position. It is important to understand that people who
are to assume leadership position must not be those who only have lower level
of thinking. Leadership is very complex
naturally. It requires people who are mature. Back to the discussion of the purpose of
Christian education as God sets it in Ephesians 4. To reach that level of maturity like Jesus,
one cannot bypass the process. It is
important that leaders have the proper level of maturity. In 1 Timothy 3:6 Paul warns Timothy that an
elder “6 … must
not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into
the condemnation of the devil.” The
level of maturity must be attained.
Higher level of thinking must be in place. Solid Christian moral principles must be
internalized. A leader must be trained
to be disciplined. Lack of discipline
will lead only to wild freedom. A child
given big power will lead only to destruction.
The lure of power to the undisciplined mind will result in selfish
ambition and abuse. In the diamond war
in Africa, some irresponsible leaders use children as their army. And they gave them semi automatic gun. The result was catastrophic. These undisciplined minds used their guns as
if they were toys in their hands. In the
end, they killed and maimed a lot of innocent people for sports. Now, the goal of education is maturity. In the Bloom’s taxonomy the goal of education
is to reach that maturity of thinking.
The process is extremely difficult.
The students need to trust their teachers. They need to obey their teachers in the
discipline. How much more for the
glorious goal that God has set for us his children, the process is not going to
be easy. But the requirement is actually
simple. God only demands his children to
be obedient. Obedient cannot exist without
trust—believe. That is why when Jesus
came to earth his main concern was for people to believe him. Without believing in him, no one will ever be
obedient. Without obedience no one will
ever attain spiritual maturity.
Nowadays, many Christians do not wish to be obedient. They become wild. They jump right away to the freedom of
creativity. The value of the world
favors such wild freedom. And so many
churches today have “spiritual toddlers” sitting as elders and leaders endowed
with great power and authority to do whatever they please. And it is not an exaggeration if we find in
those churches, faithful Christians being persecuted. My hope is that Christians begin to embrace
again the truth of the Scripture. To
walk the path of obedience. To endure
discipline. To truly trust the
Lord. This is the only way. Amen.
The Business of Christian Education XCV
The Business of Christian Education XCV
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