Tuesday 27 March 2012

The necessity for spiritual education

To educate a human child well, the three components of his essence must be addressed. Since he has been endowed by the Creator with a body, mind and spirit, he must develop physically, mentally and spiritually. The function of an effective educational system is to promote growth and development in each of these areas.

Physical growth is very noticeable during the school years. When the child begins Kindergarten, he is often quite uncoordinated, and needs guidance to develop his larger muscles. Through activities and games, he learns to skip, to hop on one foot, to throw and catch a ball, and to perform other basic skills.

As he progresses through the elementary grades, the smaller muscles come into play. He learns to print, to write, to ride a bike, and he is introduced to team sports such as baseball, hockey, soccer and basketball.

In high school, he may choose to continue with his favorite sports, and he will develop new interests which will carry over into adulthood. As he participates in jogging, golf, archery, skiing and other activities, he is acquiring skills which will help him keep fit throughout life.

Much of education is focused on a child's mental growth. He learns to read, write, and work accurately with numbers. He is taught information about the world he inhabits and the different peoples and cultures who share it with him. He learns about the plant and animal kingdoms, what each needs to survive, and the ways they affect or interact with human beings. He becomes aware of universes and space travel and other marvels that his mind may has trouble grasping.

During later school years, he begins to recognize his talents, interests and abilities. He chooses a career path, one that will enable him to earn a living. This choice is followed by even more education to teach him the specific skills needed for his chosen field.

If we turn him out into the world with no spiritual training, we have done him a great disservice. We haven't helped him answer the big questions. Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? What happens when I die? What is expected of me? Is this all there is?

We have taught him sports, but not the reasons for practicing good sportsmanship. We have given him literacy skills, but haven't introduced him to the greatest of all books: the Bible. We have taught him about the peoples of the world, but failed to inform him that he must love his neighbor. He has learned about the plants and animals of the earth, but he may not realize that he is called upon to be nature's steward. We have informed him about stars, planets, indeed even mighty universes, but we have failed to tell him about their Creator.

A child who has received no spiritual training is like a ship without an anchor or a steering wheel. He will be tossed about by the inevitable storms of life and may end up shipwrecked unless he is smart enough or lucky enough to find the answers on his own, or through a friend in the future.

Our bodies and minds, which we take so much care to educate and develop, both come with expiration dates. Not so, our spirits; they are eternal. They will live forever. Perhaps it is time to change the emphasis in education. Instead of ignoring the spiritual aspect of our child's character, it should be given primary consideration. Then we can be assured that our duty as parents and as educators has been competently completed.


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