By the Way: A teachable spirit
By REV. DR. NANCY COCKS on September 2, 2023.
I loved school back in the day, so I’ve always loved September. Though retired now, I still love reading about all kinds of things I haven’t explored before. I suppose I reflect what the founder of my tradition encouraged for every Presbyterian, “a teachable spirit.” This 16th Century teacher of the faith trusted that God’s Spirit would lead the earnest learner deeper and deeper into God’s truth. So, for me, faith has never been a set of principles to be memorized and defended at all cost. Faith is a quest for fuller understanding, fresh contemplation, courageous exploration, trusting that God meets us in all these adventures. Jesus encouraged a teachable spirit among his followers. He challenged long-held traditions in what we call “the Sermon on the Mount.” “You have heard it said…”, he’d begin, offering quotes from the law of Moses. Then he’d go on, “but I say to you…”, stretching ancient law from narrow interpretations of its letter to a wider vision of what creates respectful, merciful relationships among neighbours, even between enemies. As students and teachers return to their classrooms, I pray they carry with them a teachable spirit. As a student, I had to learn to take critical feedback from my teachers. A lower grade than I wanted could have been a blow, but it always opened a door to new insights on things I hadn’t learned yet, or on my own hidden assumptions. As a teacher, I had to learn to take critical feedback from my students. Often what was perfectly clear to me hadn’t been made clear to my class. When I listened, I became a better teacher. I worry these days that teachable spirits are in short supply. Many seem utterly convinced that their view of ‘the truth’ is unassailable. Listening to those who differ shuts down. Yet a teachable spirit in education, in life and in faith keeps us growing. It pulls back the curtains on truths about the world, truths about ourselves, and the mysteries still beyond us, including the mystery I encounter in God. Stay teachable and life remains an adventure! Rev. Dr. Nancy Cocks is a retired professor of theology 13-12
