Standing Under Wisdom

Sunday, 27 April 2014

Growing as a Leader

Mark Miller, in his short ebook called "Lead Differently" lists four strategies that, if executed well, will enable a leader to become a leader for life. The fourth one in particular caught my eye, and all of them are insightful and helpful.

Gain Knowledge: Leaders need to be learning, gaining knowledge of their people, their business, their community, and their leadership.

Reach Out to Others: I love sharing what I learn with others, and I always find it mutually beneficial. Others grow by learning and my own thoughts become sharpened when I share them. This reaching out can take many forms: mentoring and/or being mentored, teaching and/or being taught, and social media.

Open Your World: Leadership is a never-ending pursuit of (new) ideas, relationships, and adventures. Mark Miller writes the word new, but I would add the pursuit of old ideas, relationships, and adventures as well.

Walk Towards Wisdom: Another never-ending pursuit, wisdom is to be desired far more than rubies (Prov. 8:11). While I pursue wisdom, I always reflect on what it means to stand under wisdom. Wisdom will never be completely understood, but I pursue it anyways.

Thanks, Mark Miller, for reminding me to grow in knowledge, community, awareness, and wisdom.

Tuesday, 4 February 2014

In The Beginning...

Like thousands of others, I tuned in to watch the origins debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham on Feb. 4 (this evening). I was quite excited. The promotional material made claims like "the debate of the century." Partway through each man's 30-minute presentation, I realized this was not a debate at all. It was two men doing plenty of talking but very little listening.

If you have not watched the debate yet, here's a link: Ken Ham and Bill Nye

4 Observations about the Debate
#1: The "debate" was respectful and civil. Thankfully, the debate did not degenerate into hostility. This debate between creation and evolution can bring out the worst in creationists and evolutionists.

#2: Bill Nye, an entertainer with his own TV show, was much more entertaining than Ken Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis (AIG). Ken Ham was difficult to understand at times. Sometimes I even wondered if he was confusing himself. Bill Nye was more interesting, funnier, and spoke more clearly and directly than Ken did.

#3: Ken Ham was calm and confident. Despite Bill Nye's repeated personal attacks ("Ken Ham's flood," "Ken Ham's model," "Ken Ham's theory,"), he remained composed and generally articulate.

#4: The debaters never really answered each others' questions. Even though the debaters were respectful to one another, they never really had a chance to speak to one another. Bill Nye spent most of his time presenting a lists of "facts," Ken Ham presented the majority of his time explaining his Biblical convictions. They barely debated either the facts or their convictions.
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#6: The main question of this debate was, "Is creation a viable model of origins in today's modern scientific era?" The basic answer of both men?

Bill Nye: Creation is not viable as a model of origins because I have a list of scientific facts that disprove it. In other words, "In the beginning, kaboom..."

Ken Ham: Creation is a viable model of origins because I stand on the authority of the word of God. In other words, "In the beginning, God..."

“Is creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern scientific era?”
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1113062527/evolution-versus-creationism-bill-nye-and-ken-ham-to-debate-020414/#3KIl1sMQjE8mxqBq.99

4 Outcomes of the Debate
#1: Evolutionists will be frustrated by this debate because Bill Nye "legitimized" the creationist explanation of science by showing up at AIG headquarters.

#2: For part of the presentation, I followed the Twitter hashtag #creationdebate. Some of the conversation was civil, but much of it was mud-slinging, thoughtless, and disgusting. Creationists will need to be prepared for the mockery that evolutionists make of them. I was disappointed to see the way that Christians also mocked and ridiculed those who believe evolution as well. My prayer is that Christians will continue presenting the complete gospel each time they engage in the creation/evolution debate.

#3: Bill Nye's science gospel became more evident at the end of the debate. I was thankful that he finally began to admit his assumptions. Quotes include: I believe in science. Science brings me joy. I believe that science helps us answer questions. I do not believe the words written in a book written thousands of years ago translated into American English. I find this unsettling. He came pretty close to claiming that science is his god.

#4: Ken Ham attempted to bring the gospel of Christ to people more clearly at the end of the debate. I pray that many hearers are challenged to read the word of God and that God would make Himself known to them.

Sunday, 19 January 2014

Untouchable?

Touchable

You are afraid to touch me,
You think I am untouchable,
But I am touchable,
And I could be loved.

Pink sores grow on my skin.
Soon I have no nerves
I feel no pain in my fingers and toes;
Pain would be a gift.

No one will touch me, but I long to be touched.
I could not feel your loving hands, but I could feel your love.

My face is blistered, my eyes widen.
I cannot blink, soon I become blind.

Without feeling I feel pain,
Without feeling everything feels the same:

Cracked feet on sand or broken glass,
withered hands on a rose or a scorpion’s tail.
Hands, that ring the warning bell as others pass.

I sit unable to move or speak,
My body: chapped and cracked and weak.
I am sent outside the city
So no one will touch me.

One man has touched me,
Even though I could not feel his hand,
I could feel his love.

BK

Monday, 23 December 2013

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

Doing Great Work

johnathanjourney.blogspot.com

The only way to do great work is to love the work you do (Steve Jobs)

I am a special education teacher in a Christian school. It is great work. When people ask me about my work, they often comment, "You must be a very patient person." It's true, much patience is required for the work that I do. However, my students bring me so much joy and they teach me so much that it hardly feels like work when I am with them.

Everybody wants to save the world but nobody wants to help mom with the dishes (PJ O'Rourke)

I am a father to three beautiful children and a husband to my amazing wife. I love my family. I am not nearly as patient at home as I am at school. Why is that? Perhaps it is because the students I teach generally have an identified learning difficulty. Perhaps it is because I am limited by the professional environment I work in. Perhaps it is because I make an income there. Whatever the reason, I decided that the patience I saw in my work needed to become a part of my life at home.

Biblical manhood is the glad, sacrificial assumption of responsibility (Doug Wilson)

During this period of change, I was reading the book Future Men and I listened to some of Doug Wilson's interviews. The quote above hit me right between the eyes. I heard that quote several months ago and it is still reverberating in my skull. It was time for me to gladly and sacrificially assume responsibility for my work as a teacher and a dad.

Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? (Luke 5:30)

Finally, I considered the great work of my Saviour. His patience, His love, His sacrifice, His salvation. He is teaching me the greatest work, the work of love. He saved the world and He "helped with the dishes." He got down on his knees and washed dirty feet. He invited the scum of society into his house and ate with them.

Because of Christ's greatest work, I am able to do great work in Him. The great work of leading my students. The great work of leading my family. The great work of love.

Thursday, 17 October 2013

Our Loss of Wisdom

Thursday, 10 January 2013

The Skill of Wisdom

One of the inspirations for this blog was Dr. Dirk Windhorst, a professor at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario. While I was a student of his, he was working on his PhD thesis entitled, “Educating for a Love of Wisdom.” He often spoke of wisdom as knowing and doing. He reminded us that teachers need to keep these two things connected.
Some believe (or live as if they believe) that learning and doing are disconnected. You find this sentiment in the quote, “Those who can’t do…teach” or better yet, “That’s not how it’s done in the real world.” Both of these ideas reflect the misunderstanding that learning and doing are opposites.

I must begin by admitting that teachers have often pulled learning and doing apart. In doing so, we have done our students a great disservice. However, I am excited to see a resurgence of learning through doing. One of the buzz words in education right now is Project Based Learning, and while I do not agree with the philosophy behind PBL (constructivism), I do agree that we need to put the doing back into learning.

I came across a striking and instructive verse in the book of Exodus this week. After the Lord explains the plans for the temple to Moses, He tells Moses in chapter 31, “See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri…and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.”

Why would an artisan need wisdom? In Hebrew, this word for wisdom is hokmah, which in this context means “technical skill” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). Wisdom can have many connotations: military skill, administrative skill, prudence in religious affairs, etc. However, wisdom is nearly always connected with skill. That is stunning to me. For the Israelites, wisdom was not merely an academic exercise, it meant skillful living. What we call artistic talent or skill, the Hebrews called hokmah. This is why I teach. This is why I seek wisdom.

"May His children be filled with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship."