There are certain questions that both baffle and annoy every teacher. They baffle because one wonders why the student decided to ask this question in the first place because it had no place in the discussion. It annoys because the point of the question was not to gather knowledge but rather point out lack of desire on the part of the student to learn this or any other material. What is that question?
"Why do I have know this?"
I was given the opportunity in the last week to enter the western civilization class for freshmen at our school. They had just finished the Renaissance and were entering the period of the Reformation. I was invited to lecture on the Reformation and decided to use it as an opportunity not to preach but to educate the students on the basic theological concepts which stirred such heated debate. It is not everyday that these students gain insight into the roots of why people have theological arguments. My goal was to show them that during the Reformation people were passionate about their salvation and that they were very concerned about their relationship with God and the Church. I hoped that the students would use those insights to gain knowledge about religion can have a significant role in how people think, feel, and act in this world.
Unfortunately I ran into a brick wall. I want to say first and foremost that the few students who asked these questions do not represent the more than 60 that I taught. They don't even represent the entire section of the class they were in. But what they said, and the attitude they demonstrated against learning something they weren't used to is indicative of a dangerous attitude many young people of this generation, and older generations as well, use as a defense mechanism against caring and involvement. Instead of seeing the world outside of themselves as a place rich with knowledge where they are called to learn about others and through that learning gain insight into themselves, they instead view the world as an opportunity for personal advancement, where they are able to use a system of education to attain the ideal lifestyle.
This begins at an early age and is only compounded in high school and college. Students in many high schools are encouraged to find careers, not vocations (vocations in the sense of what one would dedicate their life and passion to). Their parents and peers inform them that there is no deeper meaning to life beyond comfort and self-indulgence, followed by a security earned through a high-paying job and the proper connections. What is excluded is God, his love, and his will. There is no room for self-reflection. There is no room for a soul.
The sad irony is that when tragedy strikes, which it always does, these same individuals who have wanted nothing to do with God will then ask "why did God allow this to happen?' or "if God is so loving, why doesn't he take this pain away?".
As Christians we are called to love God with all our hearts, our minds, and all our souls. This called is tied intimately to the amount of energy we exert trying to get to know this God of the universe who created us, love us, and wants a relationship with us. It is why we are called to preach the Good News, because not everyone has heard it yet! The challenge I feel is to see these students as needing Christ in their life, as needing the love that only God can provide. I have to remember that my heart is not perfectly open and that it still hardens when God wants most to break it open.
The question that remains is how we will reach out to students about this wonderful faith when it feels like we don't even speak the same language, when words like salvation, sin, and grace have little or no meaning.
