Gospel Nourishment for Those Who Teach, Educate and Facilitate Learning Ramon Antonio A. Aldana
PHILIPPINES
THE FEET WASHER Gospel Nourishment for Those Who Teach, Educate, and Facilitate Learning Š 2017 Ramon Antonio A. Aldana [Scripture quotations are] from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Š 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Published and distributed by Paulines Publishing House Daughters of St. Paul 2650 F.B. Harrison Street 1302 Pasay City, Philippines E-mail: edpph@paulines.ph Website: www.paulines.ph Cover design: Ann Marie Nemenzo, FSP Photo credits: Sr. Sergia Ballini, FSP All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 1st Printing 2017 ISBN 978-971-590-825-2
at the service of the Gospel and culture
Contents Author’s Note
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NOURISHMENT FROM THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS Being Strong at Broken Places Surprise! The Justice of God Is Not Our Justice Look Around In Haste The Truly Great God Is Excitement He Finds His Voice In a Manger Lay a Child Treasure and Ponder When Wise Men Came The Fatherhood of Joseph The Danger of Insecurity Dream, Listen, Obey To Grow Old Waiting…and Being Fulfilled To Lose…that One May Find The Hidden Life
6 9 11 13 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 41
NOURISHMENT FROM THE MINISTRY OF JESUS A Voice in the Wilderness Impact To Be Tempted and to Come Out Strong God is Always Better than Our Best The Freedom to Displease To Teach with Authority God-struck Stretch Out Friends Called Disciples, then, Apostles
44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64
To Have Authority Sleeping Amidst a Storm To Touch the Garments Talitha Cum Grit To Show Compassion Women Shake the Dust of Failure Handing Over Two Fish and Five Loaves Walk or Sink Forgiven to Be Better Let WHY Help You with the HOW When LOVE Ain’t Enough The Roadside Revolution To Serve so as to Lead The Good Portion Graced and Grateful Labels Delay Chaos
66 68 70 73 75 77 80 82 84 87 90 92 95 98 100 102 104 106 108 110
NOURISHMENT FROM THE PARABLES AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS Earth’s Curse - Heaven’s Blessing To Be Salt and Light Getting Angry On Adultery Authenticity Responding to Violence Responding to Bullies Father On Judging, Tolerance and Acceptance The Power of Anxiety Healthy Fruits On Solid Rock Sowing Seeds
113 115 117 119 121 123 126 129 131 133 135 137
The God of Small Things The Challenge of Committed Relationships Being Accountable Gate-crashing Talents On Being a Neighbor Abundance Teachers as Shepherds Home Reversals “Self-righteousness” The Resurrection Judgment Day
139 141 143 145 148 150 153 155 157 160 162 164 166
NOURISHMENT FROM THE PASSION, DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS Hosanna! Waste! Foot-washing Taken, Blessed, Broken, Given Up Agonizing Prayer Betrayed Crucify Him Join the March…Carry the Cross It Is Finished The Fruits of Easter Beyond the Empty Tomb Emmaus A Second Chance Doubt Redeemed by Love A Final Thought
169 171 173 175 177 179 181 183 185 187 190 192 194 196 198 200
Author’s Note I have worked with and among young people for more than 20 years. I have worked with them in formal, non-formal schools and technical-vocational centers; in community youth centers; in church-based groups. I have worked with them in both the rural and urban settings; in street children centers; in drug rehabilitation centers. I have worked among students; out-ofschool youth, young workers, and even children of farmers and those living in relocation sites. In all my dealings with young people, I have observed that given the right opportunity, the proper amount of concern and care, coupled with a healthy balance of discipline, young people can rise beyond themselves and are capable of doing wonderful things. In the course of working with young people, I have also met and worked with people who showed their utmost dedication for the welfare of the young. Among these youth workers, are the many committed teachers and educators I have seen in many educational institutions. Day in and day out, I have seen them deal with their students with patience; observed them create wonderful lessons and witnessed how they transformed difficult concepts into doable ideas for the young. I have not only seen them in triumph, but I have witnessed them in defeat. I have seen the frustration they get when their students do the opposite of what they teach them. I have observed the discouragement they get when many of their students fail to understand the lessons they have taught. I have written this book with these educators in mind. I have written it with the simple aim that those who may come upon this book may gain some useful insight to help him or her continue with the wonderful work of educating young people. The structure of this book is quite simple. I have chosen several episodes from the life of Jesus and offer my own reflections about it. At the same time, I have tried my best to connect the Gospel 1
episodes with the daily life and work of an educator. By connecting the Gospels with what teachers experience every day, I hope that they may find a source of nourishment and inspiration in Jesus — the one they call Rabbi — Teacher. I acknowledge that many of the things you will be reading inside these pages are not my original ideas. You have heard and read some of them so many times. I just hope that by reading them once again — it may open you to do things with greater commitment. This book is not meant to be read in one sitting. Take time to read each Gospel episode and the accompanying reflection. Let it sink in your consciousness for a few days before reading another passage or episode. Allow it to be part of your prayer. Allow the reflections presented to speak to you. If certain questions and challenges do come up, let it lead you to action. If you are involved in the wonderful work of education, may you follow the example of Jesus, the Teacher, who became a feet washer. May teaching be your way of following His example of feet washing. May it become your form of service to the young.
And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. (John 13: 3 - 5)
Nourishment from the Childhood of Jesus
Being Strong at Broken Places An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, (…) and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. (Matthew 1:1-17)
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atthew begins his Gospel by mentioning Jesus’ family tree. Some of the names are familiar, while most of them sound strange. The list contains some of the popular figures in the history of Israel. Here, we find Abraham — the father of the chosen nation; David — considered to be the greatest king; Solomon — the wisest of kings. Yet, the list also contains names of people whose deeds were not something to be proud of. Let us take the name of Mannaseh , for example. Manasseh became the king of Judah around 687/686 BC. His father was the great king Hezekiah who instituted many religious reforms for Israel. However, when Manasseh became king at the mere age of 12, he started doing the exact opposite of what his father did. In 2 Kgs 21:2-3, we are told: “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practice of the nations; he bowed down to starry gods and worshipped them. He sacrificed his own son in fire and practiced sorcery and divination.” So much for an ancestor of Jesus. Although most of the names contained in the list are men, it also contains the names of four women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, 6
Being Strong at Broken Places
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and Mary. It also makes a reference to Uriah’s wife. It is worth mentioning the stories behind the lives of these women. Let’s take, for instance, Tamar, whose story can be found in Gen 38:1-30. She was the daughter-in-law of Judah, given in marriage to Er, Judah’s eldest son. However, Er died without begetting a child with Tamar. The Israelite levirate law decreed that another of Judah’s sons should take Tamar as wife and beget an offspring for his deceased brother (see Deut 25:5-10). Thus, Judah gave Tamar to Onan, his second son. Onan, however, rejected that idea, and on the night that he had relations with Tamar, he withdrew his sexual organ from Tamar and spilled his semen to the ground. This act, as Genesis 38:10 tells us, “was wicked in the sight of the Lord — so Onan dies.” At this point the story becomes more interesting. Judah, with his two sons dead, ordered Tamar to return to her father’s house. To make Tamar agree to return to her hometown, Judah promised her that when his youngest son, Sheetilah, would grow up - he would give him to Tamar to be her husband. But Judah had no intention of fulfilling that promise. He was afraid that Sheetilah might also die. Hence, the promise that he gave to Tamar was a sham from the beginning. Tamar returned to her father, childless and full of shame. She greatly desired to have a child from the line of Judah. The opportunity came when one day her father-in-law, Judah, passed by their place for a visit. Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and offered her services to Judah. Judah unknowingly had sexual relations with his own daughter- in-law. This incestuous encounter produced twins, Perez and Zerah. Manasseh and Tamar—these are only two examples of people who were part of the family tree of Jesus. They were part of his ancestry. We may say that their lives were not perfect. Yet out of that ancestry, God was able to bring forth Jesus, His Son. Sometimes, our lives are like the family tree of Jesus. There are dark spots and broken areas. We may have gone through traumatic experiences that cost us great pain. We could have committed mistakes that prevent us from fully moving on with
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life. But, if God was able to do something out of the broken family ancestry of His Son, He can also straighten out our own crooked past. A recent UNICEF survey says that 80% of Filipino youth suffer some form of physical or psychological abuse. One out of five children and youth aged 13 - 24 years old have been sexually violated.1 Teachers come face to face with some of these young people every day. They find students who have had bad experiences in their families. They deal with students who may have already experienced a certain level of abuse in their lives. Whatever form this brokenness may take, educators play an important role in the psychological, emotional and even spiritual healing of the child. As you encounter your students today, can you make your presence among them a form of making them strong at their broken places? Can you be a blessing to the broken lives they are living?
1. Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 06, 2016.
Dream, Listen, Obey When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.” (Matthew 2:19-23)
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he year is 4 BC. King Herod is dead. Archelaus, his son, is the new king. In this transition from one reign to another, we find ourselves reading about Joseph. As in the other episodes that feature him in the Gospel, Joseph remains silent. He does not say a word. But he is portrayed doing exactly the same thing as in the previous stories about him. He sleeps and dreams. He listens, then obeys. There is so much dreaming in the life of Joseph. His dreams become the way through which God speaks to him. And when he does hear the voice of God, he listens and obeys. Joseph is not a man who simply listens to his feelings. He is a man deeply connected to the God in his life. He allows God to guide him in the historical events happening around him. To allow God to guide us in the midst of what is going on in our life is a hard and sometimes unpleasant thing to do. We want to be persons in control of our surroundings. We want to be the “masters of our destiny.” We want to be the shapers of our futures. Joseph, perhaps, also wanted to be this type of person. A man in control of his destiny. A man in control of his surroundings. But he also understood that the best way to fulfill one’s destiny is to listen to the inner voice of God speaking to him. The best way to control one’s surroundings is to allow God to take control. The best way to fulfill one’s dream is to include the voice of God in it. 34
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We have educational institutions today that are run by religious groups. We have institutions that pride themselves of being non-sectarian schools. No matter what educational institution a student finds himself or herself into, it is important for a true educational institution to offer the space where students can develop their capacity to find their own spirituality, to find their own ways of connecting with their God. This is not a call for organized religion to come barging in all our schools, private or public. Rather, it is an invitation to make sure that schools provide an environment wherein one’s belief (or even non-belief) in a supreme being is both respected and nurtured. It is only when our schools do so, that we can train our students to include the sense of the divine in their decision making. At some point in their future, I am certain that they will have to make decisions that do not only depend on their reasoning skill. They would need to have a spiritual anchor to hold them firmly. They would also need the skill to listen to the inner voice of their God. How can you make your classrooms or even school activities a venue for such capability to be developed?
Nourishment from the
Ministry of Jesus
A Voice in the Wilderness In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (Matthew 3:1-4)
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amel’s hair for clothing. A leather belt around his waist. Locusts and honey for nutrition. This is the fashion sense and health lifestyle of John the Baptist. There is something weird in his outward appearance. Being different itself is part of his message. He dresses and eats differently because his message is different. Unlike the Pharisees, he does not preach a message of obedience to the Jewish Law. Rather, he challenges people to conversion — to a change of heart. He is a voice in the wilderness. Literally, the preaching of John takes place in the desert plain of Judea. It is a place not so much populated. But no matter how obscure his place of preaching may be, it just shows that God’s voice also penetrates obscure places. Figuratively, his message is like a voice in the wilderness. Delivering a message of repentance is like shouting in the wilderness. One cannot be sure if someone will be willing enough to listen to the messenger. The strength of John lies in his constancy in preaching his message. He does not tire out challenging people to conversion. His message does not depend on the audience he talks with. Ordinary Jews, Pharisees, Roman soldiers — he gives them the same message. Repent! John’s courage may have come from the fact that he not only really believed in his message, he also was convinced that the sole purpose that he was born was to “prepare the way of the Lord.” When one’s purpose in life becomes clear, a person acts with more conviction and dedication. What about you? Is your life’s purpose helping you to act with more conviction and dedication? 44
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Teachers may sometimes feel that they are like “voices shouting in the wilderness.” There are so many things in society today that seeks to gain the attention of young people. The students sitting at your classrooms are hearing too many voices in their heads that all want their attention. With the advent of technology, some teachers may feel that their voices are not even “shouts” but are mere whispers, as the information coming from social media gets the better attention of most pupils. I am sure that there are teachers out there who, at the end of the day, would often ask themselves: Did someone pay attention to me today? Did my students understand the lessons that I taught today? These are valid questions. They need to be asked. These are the queries that could lead one to become a better teacher. If you are a teacher and if the answers to these questions are often in the negative, strive to continue to be like John. He continued being a voice even though nobody seemed to listen. May you hold on to the purpose why you became a teacher in the first place. May you continue to “shout in the wilderness” with more conviction, passion and dedication.
Stretch Out
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A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. (Mark 1:40-42)
eprosy was considered to be one of the most dreaded diseases in ancient times. Lepers were cut off from mainstream Israelite society in the time of Jesus. They were forced to live outside populated places. If ever they were to come in the city or in towns, they had to shout aloud that a leper is coming. This would give ample time for those who were in the streets to scamper away so as to avoid being contaminated. No one came near lepers. No one spoke to them. No one touched them. Leprosy was a dreaded disease. It did not only affect one’s skin. It also affected one’s relationship with the community in general. However, the leper in the Gospel story we have above seems to have forgotten all the “protocols” associated with his condition. He comes to Jesus, implores him and kneels in front of him. He comes in close proximity to Jesus. He does not care about the consequences of his actions. There is confidence in the way he phrases his request, invoking the freedom of Jesus to act. The response of Jesus to the audacity of the leper is even more remarkable. He does not avoid the sick man. Rather, he stretches out his hands and touches him. For so long, this leper never felt the warmth of human touch. Nobody ever laid hands on him. The touch of Jesus does wonders. The leper is made clean. Jesus tells him to go and present himself to the priest. It is actually their priest who can certify that the leper is clean. And with that certification, the leper is free to go back and mingle normally with the community. Jesus performs two miracles here. He heals the physical condition of the leper. At the same time, he heals him of his social stigma. He is now clean. He can now establish normal relations with the others. 58
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The consequence of leprosy was rejection by society. Perhaps, there are no lepers who come to your classroom every day. But I am sure there are those who come to your rooms having gone through the experience of being rejected by others. Sometimes they are easily noticeable; oftentimes they hide under the veneer of other defense mechanisms. Like the lepers of the past, they also attract people with the same condition. They form cliques. The unfortunate part happens when the rejection they feel outside school also becomes their experience inside. Teachers slowly label them. Administrators detest them. Classmates fear or hate them. If you find such students in your classrooms today, can you not try to “stretch out your hands to them”? Why not “stretch” your patience, your understanding, your wisdom to them? In the end, perhaps, your stretching out can make them “clean.”
Nourishment from the Parables and Teachings of Jesus
Earth’s Curse - Heaven’s Blessing When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:1- 4)
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ow do people define a blessing? Normally, when we speak of being blessed in life, we always relate it with something good that has happened to us. We thank God for the blessing of a good family; of a stable job; of a promotion in the company; for good health; for having wonderful children. We relate blessedness with success and goodness. We seldom call life’s misfortunes as blessings in life. We seldom hear people thanking God for the blessing of being sick or for the blessing of losing a job or having one’s house forfeited or having been dumped by a loved one. For many of us, these are not blessings; they are curses. If you continually experience these things, it is hard to proclaim that you are blessed. Chances are, you will start considering yourself as cursed. Thus, it comes as a surprise that in one of the first sermons that Jesus delivers to his followers, he precisely names life’s curses as heaven’s blessings. He calls being poor a blessing; being persecuted because of faith is a blessing; being in mourning is a blessing; being a peacemaker is a blessing; being a seeker of justice is a blessing. Perhaps, Jesus calls those living in these situations blessed because he wanted to teach his listeners to see their life situation in a new perspective. Many of those who followed him were poor. In their poverty, he wanted them to see and to learn how to trust deeply in the goodness of God. Many of those who listened to him were Jews who were being persecuted by the Romans because of their faith. In their persecution, he wanted them to see that their reward would not be a kingdom subject to destruction. Rather, their reward would be an everlasting kingdom. Many of those who believed in him were seeking justice from the injustices that they had been experiencing from the 113
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Romans. In their struggle, he wanted them to see that God would be their justice. Many of those who came near him were dreaming of peace in their lifetime. In their efforts to build peace, he wanted to tell them that their work was the work of the children of God. The Beatitudes, as this body of teaching is known in the Bible, are an invitation to see our lives from a different perspective, that is, from the perspective of God. And when we are able to see life from the lens of faith, then life’s curses tend to be viewed as heaven’s blessings. As you begin class today as an educator, I invite you to become a blessing to those whom you will encounter in school. If your students belong to those living in poverty, be the instrument of God’s abundance to them. If your students are in mourning because of what they are experiencing in life, be the hand that comforts them. If your students are constantly being bullied for what they are and think, be the instrument of mercy and compassion. If your students are victims of some form of violence in their lives, be the sense of peace that they need. If your students constantly seek to do what is right in their lives, be the path that guides them. If your students are persecuted for what they stand for, be the friend who stands beside them. If your students are experiencing the curse of life, be the blessing of heaven for them.
Nourishment from the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Hosanna! The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21: 6-9)
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he triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem marks the beginning of the Holy Week for Christians. It is the week when the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of Israel finds its apparently tragic end on the Cross of Good Friday. But the tragic end of Holy Week cannot be felt in the victorious welcome that Jesus receives when he enters Jerusalem. Jesus enters Jerusalem amidst the praises of the crowds. People greet him with palms; cloaks are spread on the road; the Jews shout Hosanna. Jesus is hailed as the Son of David. There is excitement in the air. The crowds sense that their Messiah has truly entered their holy city to lead them in the fight against the Roman occupation. We all know that a few days after the triumphal entry of Jesus, the same crowds who welcomed him will also be the crowds who will cry out to have him crucified. What a big difference a few days can make. On Sunday, Jesus enters as a king. But, come Friday, he will die as a rebel. I would like to speculate that Jesus was again subjected to temptation when he saw the great welcome accorded him upon his entrance into the great city of Jerusalem. Perhaps, he toyed with the idea of truly becoming the political Messiah that his followers wanted him to become. Perhaps, he entertained the thought that by leading the people against the Roman rulers, he could truly make a difference and save them from their misery. However, in Jesus we find a man made of sterner stuff. He does not give in to temptations to power. He enters Jerusalem with a clear purpose in mind. He has come to fulfill his Father’s will. 169
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He does not have any other mission than to follow the Father’s saving plan in absolute obedience. Countless times, we are faced with similar circumstances in life. People may come to adore us. Others may come to criticize us. There are times when the praises of others make our egos swell and we end up feeling that we are the best in our field. At other times, the criticisms of others really put us down and cause us to give up on what we are doing. When these moments do come, it is important that our purpose, our goal and our life’s mission be clear. When teachers perform their duties well, they receive well-deserved praises from their students and their peers. In the life of an educator, such moments of affirmation do mean a lot. They can boost one’s confidence. They can prod one to perform better and give more of oneself to the mission of teaching. The danger, however, comes when such praises make one think that he or she is superior to the rest. What is worst is when the teacher begins to think that he or she is indispensable, that no one can actually take his or her place in school. When that happens, then soon enough the mission of teaching takes a back seat. The teacher begins to take on certain entitlements in school. Slowly, the good of the students is forgotten. As an educator, every time you receive the adulation of your students and peers, try to remember your real purpose in teaching. Think of Jesus as he enters Jerusalem. Remember that the same people who praise you today could also prove to be the people who will crucify you tomorrow.
A Final Thought When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1: 9-11)
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o see a rocket or a space shuttle go into space is a sight to behold. But for sure, to witness a person being lifted up to heaven will be quite an experience. The earthly life of Jesus has finally come to an end. And his final farewell came in the form of having his disciples witness his Ascension into heaven. The sight must have been majestic. As he was lifted up into the heavens, his friends and disciples fixed their gaze on the sky. And long after he disappeared from their sight, they still found themselves gazing upward. We do not know what ran in the minds of his disciples as they gazed upward. What we know is that their attention suddenly called by the two men in white who were standing beside them. “Why are they still gazing up into heaven?” the two men asked them. The sudden appearance of the two men must certainly be a fitting reminder to the disciples to stop gazing heavenward and start thinking about their future lives. They are not to gaze at the heavens forever. Jesus expects them to get their hands and feet dirtied by proclaiming his message here on earth. Life is not simply made up of gazing and dreaming about heaven or the afterlife. Life is a combination of having our eyes fixed on the beyond and having our feet planted firmly on the ground of reality. We look up to heaven because we are doing our part here on earth. The purpose of this simple book has been to nourish the spirit of those who teach and educate with the solid food of the teachings and examples of Jesus. Hopefully, it has achieved its purpose of helping teachers “look up into heaven” and find their inspiration from the One who was lifted up there. May you realize what the disciples who witnessed the Ascension also realized 200
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— that teaching and educating young people are not simply a matter of looking up and daydreaming about heaven. Teaching and educating entail getting inside classrooms every day and meeting students in their daily struggles. They are about getting involved in the lives of young people. They are about helping to shape their lives and prepare them for their future. As you continue with your daily routine of teaching, may you continually gaze at the “Rabbi” and the example of his life. And as you look to Him for inspiration and meaning, may you find yourself giving meaning and inspiration to the young people you meet every day.