4. Of Road Signs and Restaurants
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away
Matthew 24:35
I once knew a man who struggled to find significance with his life. He was an executive chef at a finer restaurant. I thought that was a neat job, and I also thought that was in some sense prestigious. I certainly couldn’t cook, much less cook for a restaurant that charged good money. One day he announced that he quit his culinary career. I was shocked. His new job was making and installing road signs. When I asked him why he chose this path his explanation was stunning, “I want to do something that lasts. Cooking food is gone as soon as you plate it and serve. Maybe doing this job will be something that I can later show my children.” I didn’t say it, but I certainly thought that was ironic. Road signs aren’t permanent either. They may be more permanent than today’s dinner, but they get changed all the time. Sometimes, even the names of the roads are changed.
What my friend struggled with is what we all face. We all want to do something permanent and lasting. We’ve built sandcastles, but we also know that at some point all that work will be gone, so we long for something we can keep. I would even add we hope our careers are somewhat meaningful and permanent. We worked so hard and hope that it “takes”, only to have that moment when the reality of impermanence strikes. Some well-meaning former student tells us they don’t remember a thing we taught them. I have certainly had those moments. You know better. You know all you put into it, but so it goes.
What do you do about the impermanence of life (and teaching)? Do you go and build road signs foolishly thinking you too can discover some secret fountain of youth that others missed? I think the answer is to trust the promise and power of the gospel.
One of the many promises given to us is that while this earth (and even the heavens) will pass away, there is only one permanent fixture. Of course, that permanent fixture is the Word of God. We don’t always want to hear this truth because the only permanent thing in our universe does not originate with us, and we did nothing to bring it about. It is offered as a gracious gift, but something within us wants to pridefully reject such a gift that requires child-like humility.
The power of the gospel is that regardless of what our students remember, we have fed them the Word. The word will not return void, and it will last. Who cares if our own children cannot recount what we fed them for lunch? The point is that we fed them, and that the food has a nutritional impact. If we never fed our children, then they would be emaciated…but they are not, and so we did! It is the same way with teaching. They will not always remember your prepared meals, but if you feed them, then trust the lasting nutritional power of the gospel.
Christian Education finds its distinctiveness in the fact that our goal is transformation, and the Scripture is our foundation. Use that to teach well and know that you made a lasting impact for the glory of God. Everything else will be changed and devoured like road signs and restaurants.
Discussion Questions:
What are hopeful signs you see that encourage you to keep teaching truth regardless of the seeming impermanence?
If the Word of God is the only lasting thing, then how much do you rely upon its truths in your teaching?
How do we encourage our students to see the invaluable nature of God’s Word while they live among so many competing and compelling things (which are not lasting)?
