Summer Institute Blog 7/22

Monday, July 22, 2013 

"As long as I am a good teacher, I will continue to be a student." (Saint Augustine, Sermon 244, 2)

"To achieve maturity, a human being needs a certain balance among these three things: talent, education and experience. (The City of God, 11, 25).

When I returned from Peace Corps and called my friend Jim Stewart to tell him that I'd decided to go into education and also wanted to perhaps get involved in youth ministry, a coincidence happened. He told me that he was planning a spiritual retreat for students at Holy Ghost Prep, an all boys private Catholic school in Bensalem, Pa.

Jim went on to explain that he had just gotten off the phone with a person who was to speak at the retreat, but who had to cancel at the last minute. In short, Jim asked if I could fill in and give a talk about love in action. As Jim explained the retreat and the talk he wanted me to give, a bit of doubt started to creep into my mind. What qualified me to do this?

I had just returned home from a living for two years in a country that went through 10 years of brutal civil war, so I was thoroughly ashamed to realize just how terrified I was about the prospect of having to give that talk about love at the retreat. However, I knew it was a chance get involved and to learn from some pretty amazing people. Seeing my chance, I agreed.

At the retreat, speaker after speaker (two of which were Malvern Prep teachers) stood up to talk to the group, much more eloquently than I had expected. I began to think that I was too casually prepared and I began to stress out as the time for my speech came closer.

Then the next speaker came to the podium and the first thing he said was, "there are no coincidences in life." He went on to tell a stories of the many times that the pieces of his life almost miraculously came together to lead him in a new and increasingly fulfilling directions. He told the boys that day, "you are not here by coincidence."  Those words struck me immediately. I realized that this speech, this retreat, would be the first steps toward my path (wherever it might lead me); one that would probably change my life forever. It did indeed. Holy Ghost Prep offered me my first teaching job that next August, and I found what I consider to be my true calling.

After almost 15 years in education since that first small step, I found myself this morning once again sitting nervously, surrounded by a remarkable group of educators, waiting for my time to speak. Afraid to put myself out there, and perhaps feeling a little less prepared than I would have liked to join in on a discussion on 21st Century education.

However, in our opening activity in which we discussed the readings regarding St. Augustine's views on education and the educator, I read aloud the following quote: "To achieve maturity, a human being needs a certain balance among these three things: talent, education and experience" (The City of God, 11, 25).

This quote made me reflect on my own journey as a person and teacher, and brought me back to that day when I decided to take a chance and say yes to something scary, but formative. I relaxed into the rest of today's meeting, knowing that, ready or not, I was embarking on yet another path to develop my talent, education, and experience. A path that I am certain will make me a better teacher and student in the Augustinian tradition.

At the opening session, Christian asked why do you think you are here at this summer institute. Honestly, I didn't have a clear answer to that question at the time, but I do know this ... it was no coincidence.