On the direction of education

As an alum of Dordt College I remember when a group of students published a manifesto that began to question direction that the college was headed toward. Wendell Berry offers a thought that is very similar to the theme of the manifesto.

Now we seem to have replaced the ideas of responsible community membership, of cultural survival, and even usefulness, with the idea of professionalism. Professional education proceeds according to ideas of professional competence and according to professional standards, and this explains the decline in education from ideals of service and good work, citizenship and membership, to mere "job training" or "career preparation." --Wendell Berry, Life is a Miracle

Having recently watched the movie Into the Wild, I recall a scene where Chris McCandless says to his friend Ron:

"Ron, I think careers are a 20th century invention and I don't want one."

The same idea comes from both of these quotes. Does our work life, family life, community life, and church life have much crossing or blending? It should. We aren't called to live parallel stories. We have a holistic calling. Let's try not to forget that.

Good Friday listening

A song/poem to think about:

Oh God, hold me now
Oh Lord, hold me now
There's no other man who could raise the dead
So do what you can to anoint my head

Oh God, where are you now?
Oh Lord, say somehow
The devil is hard on my face again
The world is a hundred to one again

Would the righteous still remain?
Would my body stay the same?

Oh God, hold me now
Oh God, touch me now
There's no other man who could save the dead
There's no other God to place our head

Would the righteous still remain?
Would my body stay the same?

There's no other man who could raise the dead
So do what you can to anoint my head

Oh God, hold me now
Oh Lord, touch me now

-Sufjan Stevens, "Oh, God Where are You Now?"

Let's not forget his sacrifice on this Good Friday.