As a priest, it’s especially important not to think god is going to give me the congregation I see in my mind vs. the real people in front of me with their hurts, challenges, idiosyncrasies, and oddities. It was the same as a teacher and hard learned. In both settings, I may want to communicate the sublimities of divine mysteries to eagerly awaiting minds, but in reality, people often just need to know how the gospel can encourage them this week. When I taught, it was in a school with a very specific model of teaching required, which was largely good (classical/dialectic), but even that did not connect with every student, and should be seen as provisional in some ways. I love this piece, Danny, more than anything because it recognizes that humans are complex and irreducible to a method, no matter how sophisticated or data-proven. We always defy such expectations and I’m happy that we do.
This is a great piece. Insightful, clear, and succinct. Unfortunately, I’ve seen myself in all three of these categories, sometimes all in the same week. It’s a good reminder that the humans in the room are someone’s 10-year-old babies and that they are just kids: prone to impulsive behavior, laziness, and apathy. I can’t inspire them every single time with every lesson.
As a priest, it’s especially important not to think god is going to give me the congregation I see in my mind vs. the real people in front of me with their hurts, challenges, idiosyncrasies, and oddities. It was the same as a teacher and hard learned. In both settings, I may want to communicate the sublimities of divine mysteries to eagerly awaiting minds, but in reality, people often just need to know how the gospel can encourage them this week. When I taught, it was in a school with a very specific model of teaching required, which was largely good (classical/dialectic), but even that did not connect with every student, and should be seen as provisional in some ways. I love this piece, Danny, more than anything because it recognizes that humans are complex and irreducible to a method, no matter how sophisticated or data-proven. We always defy such expectations and I’m happy that we do.
This is a great piece. Insightful, clear, and succinct. Unfortunately, I’ve seen myself in all three of these categories, sometimes all in the same week. It’s a good reminder that the humans in the room are someone’s 10-year-old babies and that they are just kids: prone to impulsive behavior, laziness, and apathy. I can’t inspire them every single time with every lesson.