What is more breath taking and awe inspiring? Your neighbour or the Grand Canyon? Your mother-in-law or a sunset? Your co-worker or the Great Pyramid of Giza? In reading the book, Practicing the Presence of People by Mike Mason I have been reminded again that it is people, made in God’s image, the pinnacle of God’s creation, that should be most breath taking and awe inspiring, much more so than other things God or man has created. So shame on me for not treating my fellow man with the respect and appreciation they are due. From an educational perspective our view of man changes everything.
Christian classical education should look and feel radically different because our view of man is radically different from the world’s view of man. Just think of the different manner in which you would treat a simple piece of paper, one, a receipt for a chocolate bar, the other the winning lottery ticket for $20 million dollars. Both of them are pieces of paper and both of them have numerals printed on them, but you aren’t likely to treat them the same. You know where I am going with this illustration.
The Christian view of man esteems humans in a whole different category than the world does. From the world’s perspective we have no intrinsic value other than a few dollars worth of chemicals and minerals. From God’s perspective we are eternal beings, designed to enjoy and glorify Him for eternity. We are more valuable and longer lasting than the heavens and the earth. Just imagine if we treated one another according to our true significance. How would we re-think education? How would we re-think and re-act towards the people around us? Differently?
