p. 18 | Educational Department by W. E. Howell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Jul 24, 1913

Educational Department

By W. E. Howell

J. L. SHAW . . . . . General Secretary W. E. HOWELL . . . . . N. Am. Div. Asst. Secretary

Informal Talks on Education

THERE are two principles which we need most, perhaps, to learn well in our efforts to give our children a Christian education. These two are simplicity and depth.

"At Thy Word"

First of all, we need simplicity of faith,—faith simple enough to take God at his word. On one memorable occasion in the life of our Master, he bade Simon put out his fishing-boat a little way from the land that his Lord might use it for a rostrum to speak from. Jesus sat down in the boat, and in that simple fashion taught the people wonderful words of life. Simon was an attentive listener, and must have been deeply impressed by the words of Jesus, as the sequel shows.

Now Simon was a fisherman by trade, which he plied largely at night as being the most favorable time for a catch. But the night previous to this occasion he had had no success, though he had toiled perseveringly till break of day. When the Master had finished speaking to the people, he said to Simon: "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draft." But Simon, knowing that to be the most unfavorable time to fish in the whole twenty-four hours,—with the stir of the town near by and a multitude at the water's edge,—told the Master of his night's failure and of the hopelessness of trying to catch fish in the daytime. Yet, under the influence of that morning's teaching from his boat, Simon submitted, saying, "Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net."

All the world knows the result of that simple act of obedience,—the breaking of the net and the sinking of that self-same boat and one other besides, with the weight of that largest catch of the season, and a daylight catch at that. But the prospect of large returns in the fish market that day was lost sight of by Simon Peter in his astonishment at the power of the Master's word. His heart was moved to repentance for raising objections to his Master's bidding,—a repentance so sincere that he declared himself a sinful man and bade his Lord depart from him as being unworthy of so holy a presence. Then came the comforting assurance: "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." And the men that Simon the fisherman, now transformed into Peter the fisher of men, caught from that day forth, and is still catching through the record of his life and writings, will far outmeasure in number and value the wonderful catch of Galilean fish on that memorable morning.

One more point remains to impress the lesson: When they had brought their ships to land, Simon Peter was one of those who "forsook all, and followed him." But before he was moved to leave all his bright business prospects that day, he had first to forsake all his own ideas of success in catching fish, and follow the Lord's way. Peter learned two great lessons from this experience: That the Lord's ways are not man's ways, and that when the Lord marks out the way, unquestioned obedience will always bring the greatest ultimate success.

Reader, have we learned well these two lessons? Are we simple enough in our faith to believe that the Lord's way of catching our own children and youth in the gospel net, and of training them to catch men successfully in the great sea of humanity, is superior to all the ways of merely human devising? Is there a difference, a real, vital difference, between the Christian school and the secular school? If so, why are half our children yet in the schools of the world? Conscientious leaders in secular education are much disturbed over the lack of moral and spiritual power in the public school. Some of them well know that the banishing of the Bible, the casting of doubt upon its inspiration and authenticity, and the lack of religious instruction of any kind, are producing a crop of skeptics and freethinkers that are dangerous to society. They know, too, that church instruction on Sunday is far from sufficient to stem the tide of evil setting in from the day-school. Many of the secular teachers themselves sense the situation keenly, but know and say that their hands are tied.

How is it with us? Are we Christians, we Seventh-day Adventists, disturbed or at ease in the matter? Is there something wrong with our own schools that we hold aloof from them and prefer the risk of the secular school? I am well aware that they are not yet perfect, and so are they aware of it. Greater simplicity of curriculum, greater elimination of worldly spirit, matter, and methods, and greater teaching efficiency and facilities, are greatly needed. Good progress has been made in these directions already. These things will all come in time, and they will come quickly if we only—

"Launch Out Into the Deep"

With more simplicity we need greater depth,—depth of conviction that the Lord has given us as truly superior principles of education as he has principles of spiritual power and doctrine; depth of searching the Bible, history, and natural science for the deep things of God—these three great trunk lines of Christian study, with English, music, and the languages their strongest accessories; depth of conviction that the development of teachers and text-books for the instruction of our own children is just as important as the development of ministers and message-filled books for the enlightenment of the heathen; depth of conviction that teachers for our elementary schools and missionaries to foreign lands need as thorough preparation as do college teachers or physicians. While Peter needed to launch out into the sea, we need to launch out into the land,—in tilling the soil and in the teaching and practise of useful trades. We have been too content to linger among the multitude upon the shore and merely listen to good instruction, while Peter launched out into the deep and got the blessing. We have been so timid in stepping out upon right principles clearly set forth that in some respects in which we might have led, the world has gone ahead of us.

There is a depth of meaning to Christian education that we have scarcely begun to fathom, and which we shall never measure till, like Peter and his partners, we forsake all the ways and methods that mere men have adjudged best, and follow on to know the Lord by acting promptly and whole-heartedly at his word; and till, leaving results with him, we launch out into the educational depths of his wisdom for a miraculous draft of boys and girls, of men and women.

W. E. H.