The Second Reply

It's so good to hear from you again, Nathan! I want to spare the formal introductions this time around in an attempt to capture by this letter the type of tone we have when we get to speak to each other on the phone. I'm sure you'll give me grace in that, and as always, I appreciate it

Between the time of the last letter and this one much learning has taken place in my life, the life of my family, and the life of the Church I serve. The process of learning has evolved over the years that I've known you and it's something that is important for people to observe as different seasons in their life pass. If we learn how we learn then we might accept truth in a way more effective. As redundant as that last sentence may have seemed, I think I can assist in some clarification. The most influential schools of thought on the process of learning flow from two very different ancient cultures: (I'm sure you know what I'm about to say before I say it here) Greek and Hebrew. Under the umbrella of Hellenistic Philosophy, Platonism thrived; at the core of Platonism was the theory of forms which basically states that ideas ("eidos") in your mind represent reality. The physical world and your experience was lumped into a lesser reality, one that was subject to change because of all those swirling variables; ideas though, they were pristine, and they were what Philosophers grasped at and taught. To be a student of Philosophy, you get information from a teacher that is either spoken at you or read, it's simply a transfer of information, a download of information from one brain to another. The judgment of how much you learned under a philosophy was measured in how much information you can spit back at the teacher. This is a similar process to what we see in the classroom today.

Teaching in the Hebrew mind is different. To them, it was about relationship and example. To study under a Rabbi you entered a relationship with him and followed his every example. It was through the experience that the information was taught. Through example "halakah" existed, that is to live the teaching you received by "hagadah". One can't exist without the other and so the need for information passing was needed but so too was the living of that truth.

There will be times when "halakah" is heavier than "hagadah" and vice versa. These are the frustrating times in life, one can do too much without knowing why and someone can know too much without doing anything. In life it's important to have the balance be 1:1. It is a shame though, how in the west it has become so lopsided the emphasis in academia is merely on the knowing and come graduation time you are dropped off into the world of doing. Can you imagine what our country would look like if our children were encouraged to know and do in equal measure?

I want you to think about where you are at. Are you in a season of just soaking in information, just attempting to make things happen because you have previously learned them to be true, or are simultaneously learning and being that information as you move through life? 

Take time to understand how the disciples learned under Jesus: Where they faltered and where they succeeded and always observe the careful teaching their very intimate Messiah had with them. This care is the same for us today, may we always have the eyes to see, learn and be the teachings of our Messiah. Amen.

Your friend and brother,
Seth Wright