Some time ago, I heard of an organization with the motto, ‘Always Learning.’ That’s the case for children, certainly, in their minute-by-minute discovery of the world of people and things around them. For them, life is a whirlwind of things new and delightful (and, yes, sometimes painful). By adulthood, other than times of higher education study, it may seem we’ve packed in all we’re going to learn. Our daily lives take on a familiar rhythm requiring little effort, hence we can feel that we’re simply leaning on previous learning.
But, back to that motto. In the end, learning isn’t necessarily what we choose to do, it’s often what we do as a result of being alive. Our brains process a ridiculous number of pieces of data per second. All our senses are communicating incoming material. If we’re out for a walk in the neighborhood, we hear cars passing, dogs barking, AC units running, lawnmowers beautifying. We see leaves, flowers, squirrels, sky conditions. We feel the temperature and humidity on our skin. Sometimes, in cool weather, we smell welcoming wood smoke from a chimney, or the delicious waftings from a neighbor’s backyard BBQ. All these, often, are registered as learnings by our brains, while passing unnoticed and commonplace.
When routines, the status quo, our preferred ‘order,’ is, say, upgraded by the unexpected, well now, learning kicks into a higher gear. When there’s a friendly, but sudden, onslaught of ambulances and doctors and nurses and medical procedures, myriad pokings and proddings, 3 AM wake-ups for vitals checks, and more, learning is inevitable. One aspect of the learning in this situation, is how to respond with gratitude and respect for the dedicated team in attendance. When COVID visits, too, normal screeches to a halt. Isolation is mandatory. A happier ‘out of the norm’ happening is a week of vacation to recharge batteries, to appreciate having less time constraints, to regroup emotionally and spiritually, to simply enjoy the spouse God has given you.
We often refer to learning curves as being steep. I think what we mean by that is the onrush of information to take in can be overwhelming. I’m certain Jesus’ disciples, and the early church leaders, felt like they were ‘drinking from a fire hose.’ Trying to absorb everything fast enough was their gargantuan challenge. I suspect, for us, apart from the deluge of media-based data, there is plenty for us to learn from Jesus himself, from his Word, and from his family that he’s given us. And with these three, we’ll make it safely home to the Father’s heart, ‘learned up to the brim.’ PD
*a pastor friend’s standard question upon meeting a member of his congregation at church or a student in the hallway of their Christian school. He would stop and wait for a response!
