Recent quotes on Learning and Education (+bonus)

'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.' (A whole Gambian class quoted the second half when a speaker said the first half.)

Teaching is about helping someone learn.  Education is about learning, not 'teaching' or spoonfeeding information.

"Remember that if the other students are learning, they won't tolerate others disrupting their class, so you can expect help from them."

Bonus quote on leadership:

'I don't believe in future leaders, we are leaders starting now.' Ebrima, Gambian student youth leader

The Vow

The Vow

For better or worse,

For riches or loss,

Through joy and sorrow,

Through illness or health,

Through safety and danger,

We're bound,

By Christ's love.

Nor can life - beginning, continuing, or ending;

Nor power of this world or another - arising, descending;

Nor strength or depth or length -

Indeed, nothing at all,

Unbinds

Christ's love.

(Romans 8:31-39)

Classical - My Little Ones are loving it more than I do

I don't know if anyone would suggest that either of the two composers below (Camille Saint-Saens or Dmitri Shostakovich) are 'classical' musicians, but they are introducing my daughters to listening to instrumental, classical-style music with enjoyment and imagination. They beg to watch these two animated compositions over and over again. Hopefully soon we will add 'Peter and the Wold' to this repertoire for them! Please, enjoy...

Camille Saint-Saëns - The Carnival of the Animals

Dmitri Shostakovich - Piano concerto No.2 

  In January, an essay that I read by Kevin Bauder pointed me toward thinking about this topic and particularly some of these musical pieces. I especially enjoyed finding 'The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra' through that essay, "Start Them Young." My daughters are a bit young to 'get' the music without the animation, but because of the way it's presented even they can benefit from this rendition as they begin learning about the various musical instruments and their sounds.

  

Hiccups

Hiccups

Hici hici cups.

Hiccups after tea cups.

Hici hici ups.

Diaphragm jump ups.

Lung and chest bounce up.

Hici hici ups.

Giggle after sup.

Everyone cracks up.

Hici hici ups

Backwards gulping cup

Waters flowing down

Hici hici- stops!

by Julide, 2015

(poetry assignment on topic of personal interest)

The Herald's Voice

The only path

To flee God's wrath

Is 'Repent, in the wilderness;

Direct steps, to righteousness.'

O snaky brood!

Where is your fruit

That would show true sincerity?

Change starts internally.

Mt 3:1-10

Shame, Fame, and Honor Today

Andy Crouch's recent article in CT, called "The Return of Shame" is well worth reading in full.  He deals with important cultural and theological ideas about shame and salvation.  Here's a couple excerpts: one cultural insight, one theological application.

The personal screen, especially with its attached and always-available camera, invites us to star in our own small spectacle. [...] But having attracted us with the promise of approval and belonging, the personal screen can just as easily herald exclusion and hostility...

---

In the pastoral letters of the New Testament, we see Paul and other church leaders reframing the traditional categories of honor and shame. The task of the early church, as Mischke puts it, was to free its members from “honor competition” and give them high “shame resilience.” This would enable them to endure low status in the Roman world while reaching out to those no one else would touch. At the same time, the apostles followed Jesus in drawing clear, if countercultural, boundaries for inclusion and exclusion, calling members of this new community to the holiness that brought honor to God.

tidbits of interest from the Metropolitan

1.  A useful summary of the various sections of Scriptures and how they point to Christ in the great Story:

"There are different things contained in the Holy Scriptures, as the commandments of the law, rules of morality, prophecies, accounts of different revelations which God made of himself to man, miracles, and promises, together with many accounts of the transactions of men. However, all these tend to nothing else but to the revelation of the eternal counsels of God, concerning the salvation of mankind through our Savior Jesus Christ. Thus, for instance, the Law, by bringing us to the knowledge of our guilt before God, leads us to seek for a Deliverer; the prophecies proclaim his approach; the sacrifices point him out; the different revelations which God made of himself, either prepare us to receive the faith of Christ or illustrate more clearly the acts of our Savior. And all the promises of God, in assuring us of the mercy of our heavenly Father, rest on Jesus Christ, as our Mediator with God." (in Section 2, 'On the substantial contents of the Holy Scriptures')

2. An interesting theological speculation, 'If humanity had not fallen, then...'
"From this we conclude that if man had not broken the union by which he was closely connected with God, he would have enjoyed a most happy life on earth, and at last, according to the determination of his Maker, would have been translated to heaven, to enjoy God eternally. Of this, we have an example in the person of Enoch. (Gen. 5:24)"

from A Summary of Christian Divinity, by Platon Levshin 

Maybe for a good guy?

  As a teenager, I remember reading an account of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan; one of the most stunning aspects for me to think of was a bodyguard (or three) intentionally throwing himself across the President's body to act in a positive way as a human shield. (video here, a little blood shown) We've heard about 'taking a bullet for someone'... But what if President Reagan had seen the danger to one of his guards or aides and thrown himself across them to protect them instead? Rash, huh?  Wrong priorities, etc...

 The incredible thing about the God of the Bible is that He does just that: God's love was demonstrated to us when Christ died, not for good and righteous people, but for ungodly sinners.  Metaphorically, Jesus took our bullet; He threw His body across ours as a shield - when we were still His enemies. (Romans 5)  

 God our Shield: Genesis 15:1; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 7:10; Proverbs 30:5, etc.

Istanbul Modern: an abstract day

  Today involved my first visit to Istanbul Modern, one of the main modern art museums in our city.  A variety of interesting works are exhibited in the museum, though few that I would care to hang on my wall.  Having read with benefit some of Francis Schaeffer's thoughts on art and worldview, I was looking at some of the paintings and considering what they might reflect in the artist's thoughts.  In the description of one of Mübin Orhon's works, it is commented that his art is 'based entirely on a use of color from which all form has been purged.'   

Untitled, 1968

  It was interesting to me to notice that the vast majority of these works still had two major, direct uses of form in each work: obviously, the frame, but less obviously the artist's signature.  In the above case, the artist even left the work untitled. Yet, while communicating formlessness, artists still apparently thought it important to bind their identities to the works'.  Does this communicate anything more than simple commercialism?  Likely so, but I will leave the observation here.

from the bottom left side

note on Orhon's work

a work by H. Anlı

Luminous substances... another quote from Platon, on Creation

  In light of a couple recent blog posts about creationism, I looked specifically to see what Platon said about 'creation'; none of it was particularly unusual, but I thought this comment was interesting.

On the fourth day, the luminaries of heaven were created, the sun, the moon, and the stars, probably from the luminous substance which was created on the first day.  

(Platon, 51)

  'Luminous substance'... I've never heard of that before per se, but it generally sounded like Platon understood a 24-hour day, 7-day week understanding of Genesis 1-2.