The disciples of Jesus were his students. As a teacher, I find familiarity in Jesus the teacher. Among the twelve apostles, Judas was a failure. Therefore, I blame myself less for the failure of some of my students. Jesus has a failure rate of 1 to 12. Being a less capable teacher than the Teacher, I should be contented when I score a failure rate of 4 students out of a class of 40. I cannot be the "saviour" of every student of mine.
In the lengthy farewell speech of Jesus in the Last Supper, he made the following statement.
While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled (John 17:12).
Jesus had kept his disciples in God's name. What have I done to keep my students in God's name?
I congratulate myself for being given the opportunity to teach Bible to my students. In the last three decades, the Bible keeps enriching my soul and my spirit. In teaching my students Bible, I am taught by the Holy Spirit. To these days, the Bible keeps fascinating me with more and more surprises. I hope I am able to inspire a similar passion for the Bible in my students.
I also enjoy using and teaching computer which is an indispensable tool in modern life. Nowadays, many young people use the computer for entertainment purposes, to download music, to chat with friends online and to play online games etc. They have not fully utilized the potential computers enhance. Computers help us calculate faster, try out our creativity, control instruments, organize and analyze our data etc. It is a pity to see young people burning their life away in front of the monitors playing online games. How can I help my students find God through the computer?
While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled (John 17:12).
Jesus had kept his disciples in God's name. What have I done to keep my students in God's name?
I congratulate myself for being given the opportunity to teach Bible to my students. In the last three decades, the Bible keeps enriching my soul and my spirit. In teaching my students Bible, I am taught by the Holy Spirit. To these days, the Bible keeps fascinating me with more and more surprises. I hope I am able to inspire a similar passion for the Bible in my students.
I also enjoy using and teaching computer which is an indispensable tool in modern life. Nowadays, many young people use the computer for entertainment purposes, to download music, to chat with friends online and to play online games etc. They have not fully utilized the potential computers enhance. Computers help us calculate faster, try out our creativity, control instruments, organize and analyze our data etc. It is a pity to see young people burning their life away in front of the monitors playing online games. How can I help my students find God through the computer?
Against what had Jesus guarded his apostles? I suppose it was the Evil one. However, Jesus did not save them from martyrdom. Only John did not die a martyr.
Against what do I guard my students? In my early days, I taught only boys. Nowadays, I teach both boys and girls. When I first moved to Shung Tak, I was not used to teaching girls. I was worried that my teaching style developed in the previous boy school would hurt them. I had to "handle" them more cautiously because they seemed so delicate. After a couple of years, I knew them better and I found them actually stronger, more capable and successful than boys in Shung Tak. Gradually, I feel more relaxed interacting with them. Of course, I still keep a respectful distance, physically as well as emotionally, from them. More recently, I find these teenage girls less restrained in their behaviour. This must be the outcome of the kind of morality propagated by the mass media. They are very casual towards their bodies, casual in how they dress, how they speak, how they physically touch each other and are touched. Oh my God. How am I going to guard them?
Of course, they are still young. As long as they don't make any serious mistakes, they will grow out of it. In ten years time, they will get married and become mothers. When they look back, they will laugh off their folly in the younger days. Now, my duty is to guard them from making serious mistakes, to help them build up a right attitude towards studies and life.
Against what do I guard my students? In my early days, I taught only boys. Nowadays, I teach both boys and girls. When I first moved to Shung Tak, I was not used to teaching girls. I was worried that my teaching style developed in the previous boy school would hurt them. I had to "handle" them more cautiously because they seemed so delicate. After a couple of years, I knew them better and I found them actually stronger, more capable and successful than boys in Shung Tak. Gradually, I feel more relaxed interacting with them. Of course, I still keep a respectful distance, physically as well as emotionally, from them. More recently, I find these teenage girls less restrained in their behaviour. This must be the outcome of the kind of morality propagated by the mass media. They are very casual towards their bodies, casual in how they dress, how they speak, how they physically touch each other and are touched. Oh my God. How am I going to guard them?
Of course, they are still young. As long as they don't make any serious mistakes, they will grow out of it. In ten years time, they will get married and become mothers. When they look back, they will laugh off their folly in the younger days. Now, my duty is to guard them from making serious mistakes, to help them build up a right attitude towards studies and life.
Dear Teacher, inspire me in how to help my students set up their goals in life and nurture a right attitude towards their bodies and their life. Amen.
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