Jesus in the Classroom

For my first ever overseas teaching assignment, I was asked to teach Proverbs at our Bible College in Brazil. After 9 months of language school in a different region of the country, we arrived in Gramado, where we had temporary lodging at the mission guest centre.

At language school we had been disenchanted by the sense of cultural and spiritual superiority of some of our fellow young expatriate missionary language students. Their impressive sense of mission was unfortunately tinged with an innate sense that they were the experts who had come down to teach the locals how things work. We were at the same time heartened that many other fellow students had feelings similar to ours: that we knew we had a lot to learn from the Brazilians and hoped that what we had to give would somehow help the Brazilians also learn reciprocally; that as overwhelmed with the newness of everything as we were, we none-the-less had a solid sense of calling; that we were radically dependent on the Lord and His people to see us through the immensity of task ahead.

We now had 3 weeks to settle in, hunt for an apartment, and prep for our respective assignments: teaching – in English – the missionary kids at the little school for them (Eileen); and teaching – in Portuguese – at the Bible College (me). Eileen sacrificed much of her prep time for me, spending countless hours in our little room helping translate my teaching material into Portuguese.

When the big day of my first class arrived, I survived the introductions and greetings, and woodenly launched into reading my freshly translated notes. Nothing I did demonstrated a grasp of proper teaching methods or presentation.

Yet something happened already that first day and increasingly as the semester went on: learning did take place; relationships were developed. The joy and love in the classroom lubricated the learning process. At a level beneath cultural cues and miscues, hearts were knit together. Like pilgrims joining a growing multitude on the way to Jerusalem for the high feast days, our stories and journeys melded together.

And there at the heart of it was Jesus Himself: journeying with us, meeting us where we were, uniting hearts and stories that would otherwise have been hopelessly disparate. Jesus was right there in the classroom. The great Teacher Himself was, by His Spirit and in the blessing of His Father, teaching us His way, His truth, His wisdom. I have always found it profoundly helpful to remember that Jesus is in the classroom. Jesus is in the learning relationship, in the learning environment.

Into my (and my students’) brokenness and profound lack of adequacy, His presence flowed, like healing oil on exposed wounds. I learned a lesson that I am still learning (and in my pride too often resisting): our Christ-oriented, Spirit-led, God-glorifying vulnerability opens chasms for learning that would otherwise remain closed.

Living (and telling, when helpful) our pilgrim missional stories connects us with the stories of our students. (One is reminded here of St Francis’ “preach Christ always; when necessary, use words.”) It infuses learning with humanity and redemption. This helps us, in turn, help our students see the storylines of our subject matter, the bigger picture from which all small pictures flow and to which they contribute. As we make sense of our stories, we make sense of the cosmos and thus the immediate learning tasks and challenges.

A commonly used word in Portuguese (and other languages) for “education” is “formation”. Education involves forming – and transforming – hearts and minds, relationships and stories. This overarching goal gives meaning and direction to all we do.

My weakness and inadequacy illustrate in a small way one aspect the grand story within which all life and learning occurs: dying to ourselves we are raised up into that sphere where we know it is (it can only be) God who is working. A posture of humility is key to creating space for God to mightily work.

When this posture and this relational dynamic is coupled with true preparation in the subjects being taught, learning is unleashed. The hard work of prepping for those initial classes was merely the culmination of many years of academic study and experience.