Education

Isaiah 44: 21-28:

21 "Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you. 22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." 23 Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel. 24 "This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, 25 who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, 26 who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,' of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be built,' and of their ruins, 'I will restore them,' 27 who says to the watery deep, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,' 28 who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid." '

I completed the work to earn my PhD in 1998. The process took five years to complete – the first three with class work, the last two with a dissertation. During this time, my older son grew up too fast, I did not have a second child with my first wife, I borrowed money to help with expenses, and I was not working full-time for the first four of those years. Was it worth it? Yes. No. I do not think I am smarter than many people who do not have a doctorate, but I passed the educational endurance test. I half-agree with those who say PhD stands for Piled Higher and Deeper.

While I work at a state-supported college, I appreciate a Christian liberal arts school that incorporates Christian beliefs with a liberal education. Christianity in higher education has often been relegated to campus clubs or irrelevancy. But on a Christian campus, Christianity is merged with education. Understanding all of life from a Christian perspective creates an interaction, rather than a disjunction, between faith and learning.

A liberal education (college instruction that provides broad, general knowledge) offers an excellent learning experience. With many graduated students not working in fields directly related to their majors, students must be able to think through solutions rather than simply regurgitate answers. Technology is increasing exponentially and students need to learn which questions to ask in a transforming job market. A liberal education teaches students how to think for themselves.

God is not against all education in this passage. In fact, we are told in another passage that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our mind. The writer of Isaiah is reminding us that God still needs to be number one in our lives. Idolatry occurs when the creature imagines himself or herself to be the creator:

A Faithful Response: Help your child with his/her homework (or someone else’s child if you have no children).