• High Contrast Mode
  • Text Size: Reset +
  • Translate:

"Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime." – Martin Luther King Jr.

At this special time of year, we have books to inspire and delight you. Accompany your little ones 'On the Road to Emmaus' or through 'Via Lucis: The Way of the Light'. Or perhaps, reflect with Fr Michael on the Gospel resurrection narratives in 'Alive'.

The Mystical Heart of Education

The Mystical Heart of Education

Posted: Thu, 16 Jul 2020 14:44

The Mystical Heart of Education

Hands up who knows what the word 'education' means? I often start in-service training with this question. Quite often a room full of teachers will have no idea of the etymological meaning of the word—why would they? I didn't until I was told. Yet each one has the concept in their head, heart and soul. They have, in my humble opinion, a mystical knowledge of the meaning of education. By mystical I mean 'experiential' knowledge of the word they have devoted their life to. So then, what does it mean?

The word education is derived from the Latin word 'educare' which means to bring up. Another Latin word 'educere', means to bring forth. Those who have had a classical education say 'e' means 'out of' and duco means 'to lead' i.e. to educate means to lead forth or 'to extract out' the best in man. At its most basic level 'education' means to bring out the best in the individual, and ultimately, humanity. Education allows humanity to flourish. Or in the words of Don Bosco, to "be honest citizens and good Christians."

Within all the great faith traditions that have ever existed there have been mystics. Those who have extracted experiential knowledge of God by the practice of trying to live a life in close union with God. The mystic sees the interdependence and connected nature of all things. To the mystic nothing is 'separate' from God. All things are sacred. The mystic has a way of seeing that sees reality—God in all things. I once observed a young RE teacher who was delivering a lesson on the cosmological argument. He invited the students to look out of the window at a tree and explained how the tree is an effect, the seed was a cause and that if you trace the chain of cause and effect back far enough in time, you come to the Big Bang and ultimately God. One pupil raised his hand and said, "So you're saying that tree proves God exists?" "Yes," he replied. The class went silent whilst the student pondered. The silence was tangible. This young teacher has opened his students up to the mystical vision of creation: God is in all things.

Education by the very definition of the word is mystical, in as much as it should always seek to uphold the sacred union that exists between all things. The entire curriculum can and should allow all students to see the interdependence of each area of study. Each area of study illuminates the next. Like the mystical vision of life, which states that all things are connected, no area of study exists by itself in the world of education. Many of us were angry when, several years ago, the curriculum was reduced due to the inclusion of certain subjects by government legislation. This narrowing pitted subjects against each other and denied the reality that all are valuable and equal as all draw out, lead forth, and extract the best from humanity. Many brave school leaders held firm and kept, and continue to keep, a broad and balanced curriculum. One Salesian headteacher when agonising over keeping music in the curriculum hung on to the words of Don Bosco, "The music of the young should be listened to with the heart and not with the ears... A school without music is a school without a soul, for music aids education. It is a most effective means to obtain discipline, morality, and help good feeling... An Oratory without music is like a body without a soul." How is that for a mystical vision of education? At his core, I believe Don Bosco was a mystic.

Mystics don't exclude anything from the sacred energy of God. In simple terms, the Holy Spirit exists in everything. To deal with young people through mystical eyes is, I believe, an authentically Christian way of teaching. To see all children as made in the image of God is to see them as they are in reality. Yes, it is true that youngsters can fall short of this; can't we all! We are only human. Yet to see and treat our pupils as divine reflections of the living God is to have a mystical way of seeing children. Thus, being a 'mystic' is open to us all, the simple act of seeing God in all things, especially the curriculum we teach, the pupils we teach it to and the way we interact with each other is the mystical heart of education.

Image: Don Bosco and Youth by Mario Bogani via sdb.org

Tags: Homepage, Salesian Education, Salesian Youth Ministry