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WISE &
SIMPLE
by William C. Michael
July 23, 2009
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Therese was raised
to be wise and simple--not cool or successful. |
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Today, we honor
her as St. Therese, while we speak of none of her
"well-rounded" peers. Do we see in this young woman
the goal of Christian education? If not, we have found
the problem. |
Most Christian families in America are
struggling to raise children who are good, but not goofy. Usually,
this is a symptom of the struggle of trying to serve God and money in
the lives of their children. The benefits of altar service are
weighed against the benefits of soccer awards, Catechism versus
Chemistry and so on. To discuss education from a spiritual
perspective is difficult when what the parent really wants to ask is,
"Will this get my son into ______ University?".
What is important is understanding that
there is a struggle here and Christ Himself has addressed this struggle.
Let us begin by carefully reading these words from Our Lord, recorded in
chapter 10 of St. Matthew's Gospel:
"Behold I send you as sheep in the
midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as
doves. But beware of men."
These words of Jesus are known to many
Christians, but the paradox he presents is often overlooked. In
Scripture, those who have yet to study the Scriptures and learn wisdom
are called "simple ones". For example, the opening lines of the
book of Proverbs explain that the purpose of the book of Proverbs is to
give "resourcefulness to the simple.".
This seems to make sense to us when we
consider education: our children are simple and we wish for them
to become wise. However, this is not what Jesus says. He
commands us to be wise and simple. In these strange words
we find the answer to our question of how we can raise children that are
good, but not goofy.
UNDERSTANDING THE MESSAGE
When we hold our Catholic babies in our arms
or sit at the table with our sons and daughters, we should recite these
words to ourselves and meditate on their meaning: "Behold I send
you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be wise as serpents and simple as
doves." They provide us with the perfect understanding by which
any true Christian education is to be directed: What do our children
need to know? What should their cultural experiences consist of?
What should they be doing day-by-day? What sort of schooling is
best? Should they be kept away from other children or raised among
their peers? All of these questions find their answer in the words of
Our Lord above if we understand them rightly. Let's look at them
closely:
First, Christ describes the nature of the society in which Christians
must live: it is a society of wolves. We commonly think of
wolves as nasty predators in movies, but throughout history, they
represented more than just violence. Wolves led a life that was
wild and irregular, as opposed to the farm dog that ate regularly and
could be tamed. We see this
characterization of the wolf in Aesop's fable "The Dog and the Wolf" and
in the story of St. Francis and the wolf of Gubbio. Furthermore,
the wolf represented a selfish thief who, rather than perform useful
work like other animals on the farm, preferred to live by theft.
We see this notion in Aesop's fable, "The Wolf and the Kid". Most
famously, the wolf was known to be treacherous as we see in the famous
fable "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing". Aesop's fables were written
over 500 years before Christ and were well known--especially
among agricultural peoples. Thus, when Christ speaks of the world as a
society of wolves, he means much more than merely violent men. The world
is wild, selfish, treacherous--and violent.
Second, Christ describes His disciples as sheep. This is
striking when, again, we consider all that sheep represent to those who
deal with them directly. When God made sheep he gave them no capacity
for self-defense. They cannot run well, they cannot jump, they cannot
bite, they cannot scratch, they cannot climb, they do not burrow, etc..
Their safety consists in walking close by their shepherd, who is their
only defense.
Through this imagery, Our Lord provides us with many points worthy of
reflection.
First, the argument that the best way to raise strong Christian children
is to fully expose them to the world in secular schools, clubs, etc., is
pure foolishness. This would be equivalent to planning to raise strong
sheep by setting them loose among a pack of wolves. They would not
become strong sheep. They would become dead sheep. Of course
the argument would be that they can be "witnesses" there, but Christ's
disciples were trained before they were sent out among the
wolves. They were not sent out to be trained.
Even Jesus was at home, obedient to His parents, when he was a child.
Second, some parents pursue a more conservative course, whereby children
are introduced to the world through literature or films. It is
said that in a "controlled environment" children can be brought to
understand the world while being protected from it. When I consider this
option, two questions arise. First, where is the line to be drawn drawn
between those who are "learning about the world" and those who are
studying worldly materials instead of holy things? After all, have
Christian students studying Shakespeare and Homer mastered the
teachings of Jesus or St. John? Have students learning about worldly
practices mastered Christian practices? It seems that the Lord
and His saints always find themselves waiting for other subjects to be
completed and I think this is a clear sign that something is wrong with
this way of thinking. The second question is who is it that will
protect the children from the potential harm? If we think that
Jesus' sheep are to be protected from the wolves by their parents, we
are forgetting the image here. Jesus did not say, "I am sending your
children out as sheep among wolves." He said I am sending you
(i.e., the Apostles) out "as sheep among wolves'. It is Christ who
protects us from the world and we act presumptuously when we trust in
our own strength--especially when we are seeking to satisfy some worldly
objective like college admission.
Thus we see the error of two common routes chosen by parents--whose
success rate is remarkably low considering how passionately they defend
their opinions. Perhaps there is a better course for which we can find
historical, biblical and theological evidence and not build on the
opinions of men. Let us first consider the rest of the passage and
then develop a positive solution to the question.
Our Lord continues to teach us His will for how His disciples will
conduct themselves in the world. They are to win the battle with
wisdom (as serpents) and simplicity (as
doves).
The word wisdom here, in St. Jerome's Latin translation is
prudentes, which is why some English Bibles render it "shrewd" or
"cunning". It simply means that we are to understand the nature of the
world and think carefully that we might protect ourselves from dangers.
The serpent is often seen as wise because when threatened it offers its
body to save its head, just as a Christian is to offer his body to save
his soul. This wisdom, however, is not the same kind of wisdom
that Eve foolishly sought in the garden of Eden--the experiential
knowledge of good and evil! It is not a morally reckless
curiosity to know what is forbidden or look into things we have no
business looking into. We are to be smart and protect ourselves by
listening to God's commands and obeying them out of trust and love.
More interestingly, Our Lord teaches us to be simple as
doves. St. Jerome renders the Greek word akeraioi as simplices.
Modern Bible translations take liberties to translate this as "innocent"
or "harmless" but this is too much interpretation. The Greek term
is found again in Philippians 2:15, which is clearer::
"That you may be blameless, and
sincere (akeraioi) children of God,
without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation;
among whom you shine as lights in the world."
We see that this verse is a close parallel
to Our Lord's words in the Gospel--and that shouldn't surprise us.
St. Paul wasn't designing his own religion--he was teaching the faith of
His Lord. Notice that St. Paul refers to them as blameless,
sincere and as children all in the same sentence. The translation
by St. Jerome here is again simplices.
Once more, we find the word in Romans 16:19:
"But I would have you to be wise in
good, and simple (akeraioi) in evil."
Thus, Our Lord is teaching us to be
simple, that is, ignorant when it comes to knowing evil--and
that this should not embarrass us at all. It is a sign of our
purity and holiness. It is difficult to talk to children about
sex, crimes, drugs, etc.., because they don't understand these things.
They are simple when it comes to these matters and that is
praiseworthy. It is for this reason that Christ calls us to become
"like children". This simplicity is represented by the white robe
of baptism, where we find a child (or adult) washed clean of all of the
stains of sin. That person is then charged to keep their garments
white. This is done not by "standing in the way of sinner" but by
avoiding "the occasions of sin".
However, many look at Christian children
protected from the world and note that they appear "awkward" and "goofy"
when they finally leave home. This, however, is not caused by
their holy education or their holy environment. It is caused by
their being suddenly thrust into situations for which they have not been
trained or into which they should not have entered. What would we expect
to find if a young virgin girl was dropped off to spend the day with a
band of old prostitutes? Would she fit in and feel at home? No,
she would be terribly awkward, have a hard time understanding what is
going on and would surely be ridiculed by the new crowd. It is not
the virgin's fault! In the same way, children who are raised
in a home where love, sacrifice and community are the rule, but then are
pushed into the marketplace where individualism, and competition are the
rule--will be awkward and uncomfortable! That is why they
shouldn't be pushed there. They should be pushed, as St. Paul
pushed men and women, to be wholly devoted to Christ (1 Cor. 7:8)--not
for their childhood only but for the entirety of their life.
Thus, what I question is whether holy
children are awkward or whether holy children are put in bad situations
by adults who fear the world and value material goods too much.
Many of the stories I hear of children being consumed by the world were
simply pushed into situations for which there was no reason to enter.
For these poor children, I admire their simplicity and grieve for the
pain they are made to endure.
Nevertheless, there is an answer to those
who are not pressing their children into worldly pursuits, yet are
concerned with their ability to understand the nature of the world in a
simple way.
PART II. WHAT TO DO
Our task is to understand how to raise children that are wise and
simple. We wish for them, in the words of St. Paul to be "in the
world but not of the world". Here are three fundamental tasks:
1. Give your
children a holy education.
Throughout Jewish history, education was
simple. Moses commanded the people:
"And these words
which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: And thou
shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt meditate upon them
sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and
rising."
Notice there is no concern for worldly
success; no standard for income or social status. There were only
two kinds of people in Jewish society: the righteous and the
ungodly. We see this simplicity again in Psalm 1:
"Blessed is the man
who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the
way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence: But his
will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day
and night."
We must not be afraid restore this
simplicity for our children's happiness is not bound up in their future
employment but in their closeness to God--the living God.
Regardless of shallow appearances, we do not get wealth by means of
college degrees, fierce competition and self-promotion. Look at
your own life and ask: "Can I credit my achievements and sucesses
to my own wise planning or strategic working?". If you are honest,
you will find an amazing history of coincidences and unexpected
opportunities set before you by God. Never has your life been in
your own hands and your children's life is not in theirs either.
The man in Psalm 1 has hope of success not because he is stringing
together worldly awards and piling up university credits, but because
God's blessing rests upon Him:
"And he shall be like a tree which is
planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit,
in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever
he shall do shall prosper."
Remember Our Lord's words:
"Be not solicitous
therefore, saying: 'What shall we eat: or what shall we drink,
or wherewith shall we be clothed?' For after all these things
do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of
all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of
God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Be not therefore solicitous for to morrow; for the morrow will be
solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof."
It is for this reason that the Classical
Liberal Arts Academy so strongly attracts and upsets people. The
purity of our vision inspires those who embrace Christ's call to wisdom
and simplicity, while it upsets those who fear the world and believe
that men gain their wealth by their own power. We believe that God
provides for His children and the need only concern themselves with
knowing and doing His will.
2. Raise
your children in a holy environment.
Our family is not to resemble the families
on television, but the Holy Family of Nazareth. Our children's
lives should resemble the life of the child Jesus.
When Christ was a baby He was brought by His
parents to the Temple for dedication. The prophet Simeon held baby
Jesus in his arms--in the Temple. The annual family trip in Jesus'
family was to the Temple for the religious festivals--not to a vacation
spot enjoyed equally by the ungodly. When Jesus was twelve years
old, he wandered from His parents and went--to the Temple. What we
see in the example of the Holy Family is that Jesus was raised in a holy
environment--one that had no interest in the vanity of the world.
The pressure to have children who are
"well-rounded" is founded upon a false notion that man is happiest when
he is good at everything and, again, that we must--by the strength of
our own hands--generate our own wealth. History argues both of
these opinions to be false. The happiest men of history were
always men who sacrificed themselves for the service of the kingdom of
God. Many of them were very poor, unpopular and often
cruelly treated by men. At the same time, men's wealth is given
them by God's providence--and many who gain wealth unjustly do so for
their own destruction. Your family should give in to no
pressure to be all things, everywhere and all the time. Just be
obedient to God and everything else will be provided for you.
3. Teach
your children about the world through Christian service.
If you are concerned that your children,
raised in a holy environment with a holy education, will not know how to
handle the world, then introduce them to it. However, if it is the
real world you are concerned with, then why introduce them to
non-Christian books and movies? Wasn't the concern the "real
world"? Christians rightly learn about the world through the
interaction they have with it as they live out of a life of Christian
service. This has been the way of Christian education since the
beginning of time--not a life of books and words--but of life and deeds:
"And these words
which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: And thou
shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt meditate upon them
sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and
rising. And thou shalt bind them as a sign on thy hand, and
they shall be and shall move between thy eyes. And thou shalt
write them in the entry, and on the doors of thy house."
(Deuteronomy 6)
 Learning about the world in the proper way
brings us into contact with the truth of the "real world"--its poverty,
injustice, sorrow, suffering, loneliness, etc... The devil likes
to keep the effects of his ways hidden from public view, while Christ
sends His followers to seek them out and save them. In
Christ's service, we stand on the front lines of the battle between good
and evil and we see the malice of the devil face-to-face. We learn
the truth about promiscuous sex when we see rooms full of abandoned
babies crying for loveless mothers, or when we care for the wounds of a young AIDS patient who had
one partner too many. We learn the truth about the fast life, or "lamborghini
living" as it's called-- when we visit prisoners who are deprived of
years and years of freedom for a moment of vice. We learn the truth about drug
use when we hold deformed and addicted babies in an orphanage or bring a
meal to a teenager with the teeth burned away by crystal meth. We
learn the truth about wealth and fame when we care for the elderly and
dying--returning to God naked as they came into the world. This is
where children may safely learn the truth about the world while
maintaining the simplicity Christ commands.
Most importantly, learning in this way
allows us to enter into a beautiful mystery. Our Lord says that at the
end of the world, when Christ judges the world, He will speak to His
wise and simple ones and say:
"I was hungry, and
you gave me to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink: I was a
stranger, and you took me in: Naked, and you covered me:
sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.
Then shall the just
answer him, saying: "Lord, when did we see thee hungry and fed thee:
thirsty and gave thee drink? Or when did we see thee a
stranger and took thee in? Or naked and covered thee? Or when
did we see thee sick or in prison and came to thee?"
And the king
answering shall say to them: "Amen I say to you, as long as you did
it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me."
Here we find the means and the motivation
for true education in wisdom and simplicity. We will not
only learn of the world as we serve those in need, we will find the King
there waiting for us ready to reward us, his good and faithful servants.
Who would want any other education for their children than this?
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