Jesus was twelve years old when they went up to Jerusalem. They found Jesus in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and found favor with God and all people.
At A School - Who Learns From Whom?
What do you see in the above picture? Who is teaching? Who is learning? Whose face and eyes talk the most? What is in the book? Can Kathryn Wolford, President of Lutheran World Relief (left), learn at a school and orphanage? What valuable lessons can she learn about life? About God? About wisdom? About these two children? What can orphans teach her? What can they teach us?
When visiting Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania recently, as part of a study tour with Lutheran World Relief, I asked parents what they wanted most for their children. And what was their answer? Water? Food? Shelter? Health? No! Surprisingly, I heard a similar answer again and again from parents: "We want our children to be educated." These parents remind us of some of our own parents and grandparents from Europe whose primary desire for their children was to have them educated. Through education, there was the possibility of escape from poverty. This is what poor parents want for their children: an escape from poverty. It is wise to know how to escape from poverty.
But questions persist. When and where does a person learn the lessons of wisdom? How is wisdom different than education? Can a person be wise and not educated? Was Jesus wise? What is wisdom? Is there a wisdom that is learned through poverty? Through orphanages? Through tough times, toil and struggle? When and where does one learn the wisdom of God?
LET US PRAY: Dear Jesus, Teach us your wisdom, a wisdom that is open to your Presence in the world. Teach us to have eyes that see, ears that hear and minds that are alert to the signs of your miraculous Presence all around and within us, during both good times and tough times. In Jesus Name.
