Faith Enlightening Education, Part Six: The Key to Interpreting Reality

The key for interpreting reality — that’s worth knowing!

One of the greatest thinkers of our times once said: This is truly the key for interpreting reality ”… Are we interested? This great thinker was not an actor, sports figure, columnist, political pundit or contemporary philosopher. And yet, he was all of these.

This wise man was Pope John Paul II — we have to be interested!

With a mind that saw reality as clearly as this man, how can we NOT be interested? It could be argued that reading this man’s “key” and meditating on it for the rest of our lives would probably be a worthwhile endeavor. What effect should knowing the key to interpreting reality have on society and its institutions?

This quote comes from Crossing the Threshold of Hope , page 228”:

This is truly the key to interpreting reality. Original sin is not only the violation of a positive command of God, but also and above all, a violation of the will of God expressed in that command. Original sin attempts, then, to abolish fatherhood , destroying its rays which permeate the created world, placing in doubt the truth about God and leaving man only with a sense of the master-slave relationship” (emphasis in the original).

Perceptions of God

What is our perception of God? Is he a master and we his slaves? Is he an employer and we his employees? Is he…a father and we his sons?

Adam and Eve were somehow convinced that God was not to be trusted. How do we become convinced that a trustworthy person should in fact NOT be trusted? How does a child become convinced he should not follow the guidance of his father?

The child has to be convinced that the father does not love him.

Masters do not love their slaves. The slave is a piece of property (an object) that masters can use and abuse. The decisions made by the master do not always have the best interests of the slave in mind; rather the decisions serve the interests of the master. The slave is used to promote the wants and needs of the master.

Employers do not love their employees. The goal of the employer is to make his business successful — this is the basis for his decision making. When the well-being of his employee comes in conflict with the success of his business, his business comes first. The employee is used (albeit with compensation) to make the business successful — which makes the employer successful.

A father-son relationship is much different. Fathers love their sons and daughters. The decisions by a father are for the well-being of the child. The success of the child is also the success of the father. The Father would forfeit His very life for the child — and the child knows it.

There is self-serving aspect to both the master/slave and employer/employee relationship. As slaves or employees, we realize that our interests are subordinate to the interests of the boss. A boss does not love the slave or employee – such a situation would be an exception to the rule.

There is a self-less aspect to the father-son relationship. There is trust. Decisions made by the father can be embraced by the son, even when the son does not understand or agree. The son knows he is not perceived as an object to be used by the father; rather he is a person that is loved by the father.

God is a Father. He can be trusted.

The Enslavement by a Master or The Guidance of a Father?

What possible purpose could there be to inviting a slave-master to participate in the education of a slave? Any recommendation would be suspect. Masters are interested in indoctrinating slaves, not educating them. Their goal is to keep them enslaved. Every fiber in our being screams out to resist such manipulation. We goad the slave to resist the master and do battle against his tyranny!

What child does not long for the loving guidance of a Father? Any recommendation is based on the wisdom of one who loves and seeks the best for the child. The Father wants everything that the child wants, but has the wisdom to better perceive the path. The goal is to make the child truly free. Every fiber in our being longs for the guiding hand of a loving father. It is a wonder to behold the son becoming the man who makes the Father proud.

Understanding God, Understanding Man

What is the dominant perception of God that drives contemporary society? What are the implications?

If society views God is a master, then it views man as a slave. The educational system that results will be one in which the slave is goaded to do battle against tyranny.

If society views God as a father, then it views man as a son — the son of a Benevolent King. The educational system that results will be one that treats the son with dignity, and helps him grow in virtue to become a man pleasing to the King.

If God is a master and we are His slaves, then Christ is a son sent amongst slaves. The purpose of the son amongst slaves is to exact justice. The expectations of the Father are revealed and the shortcomings of the slaves are made manifest. Justice then demands that amends are made by the slaves. The son is the overseer of justice.

If God is a Father and we are his children, then Christ is a son sent amongst brothers. The purpose of the Son amongst brothers includes the enactment of justice, but also includes mercy. The Son comes to lead His brothers home. The Son shares in the justice and mercy of the Father to his sons. The Son loves the brothers as the Father loves them – even to giving up his life as ransom.

By

My wife's name is Susan and we have four children born in '86, '90, '95, and '98. I teach/coach and administrate at a Catholic High School. I have been in the education for 26 years, the first 9 in public K-12 system, 5 years at a community college, and the past 13 in a Catholic High School.

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