3xl has not been involved in any formal education for quite a while and so it was with some whimsy and not a little wry smiling that he enrolled on a "spare" time internet masters program this week.
Now as he, and passions three and four were talking and relating they asked, if he would cease to be cool and different from the usual dads(you will have to ask them for their definitional sources). He had to ponder this whilst putting their minds at rest that he would be no different(unfortunately) for doing this course of study, but that he wanted to know more and be better able to chose things that he did and be accredited in what he did as these things were important to people.
What's the point of being a genius if no one knows about it? It is nice to be affirmed, and qualifications can do that for you. Of course the strange thing is that 3xl has been somewhat reticent and unwilling to take this step. Not that he is anti education, or anti academic, but that he has always sought to do that which is practical and useful, and has perhaps harbored secret anti smart thoughts, or pondered on the practical use of such things. I mean we all know clever idiots don't we?
Are all those letters not just affectations, or badges of merit for those who can afford the time and money to do such things? Elmer PhD, M.Scellaneous, B.A, B.A black sheep and the like and my own degrees already attained, LL.B W(Little leg before wicket, for non cricket people) and PGCE, (People Go Crazy Educating)!!!
What of the great old preachers and teachers who had no such appendages as letters after their name? Many preachers are a gold mine of wisdom and Biblical understanding and yet work all their days for God in secular employment whilst preaching faithfully and the Lord knows them.
3xl wondered if it was a particularly cultural thing. He being a not American, has a "different" slant on many things and brings different expectations to the table. 3xl was the first one in his family to go to University, but then imagine coming to a place where the head of the College has two doctorates not just one, and everyone on staff down to the IT guy has a doctorate?
He has not asked the cleaner yet....
3xl has never seen himself as academic in either sense of that word and never wants to be full of knowledge that is of no use to anyone.... but who does?
Education and wisdom do not always play nicely together. The clash of desiring to know, synthesize, apply, disseminate, propagate, promulgate and inculcate known knowledge , seems sometimes to not mesh with the wisdom that brings life, light, release and that which can only be known through revelation, rather than just reading, whatever book it is, and this is something to be acutely aware of.
So let 3xl opine a little more here and try to grasp for himself and work through the difference between the knowledge that puffs up and the learning that transforms and brings life to others.
If that which goes in to us does not defile us, yet that which comes out of us does, then it seems vital that what goes in does not affect us, so that which comes out of us is malignant and defiling, rather than life giving and eternal. As any computer handler will tell you, garbage in and garbage out. However what happens when the facts, the learning and the input mix with the internal issues that are not kingdom aligned.
When "thou shalt not...." is heard by a person, it hits different targets and can be given different receptions by different people. It can stir wildly different reactions to the same comment, some that produce the beauty that nurtures, others, the bitterness that defiles when it comes in to the daylight.
The rebellious and proud see it as an affront to their self determination and independence and may respond with anger and rejection.
The downtrodden may receive it with the pained acceptance and impotence of those who feel powerless, an edict from above that holds down and crushes and their speech accordingly speaks of harshness with passive aggression.
The optimistic and accepting may see it is a vindication of what they always felt and a release from the pressure to conform to a culture that they found themselves at constant variance with and so it goes on.
The point is that the input is the same, constant and regular, and is good, but the responses produced show the ground and soil that it is being planted in. So as I embark on my new journey of learning, what is my hope and prayer dear readers?
That the ground in my heart will be fertile to receive instruction and knowledge and that the fruit and harvest of such planting will be pure meaningful and bring life to many others . If that is found to be true then it will have been good for 3xl to take the time to...
Th.ink M.ore
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