December 2013
Vol.1, Issue 5
For This Day
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6-7
Classical and Christian is a unique blend of education that nourishes the mind and the soul. Any separation of the two leads to a life that lacks in the very best of what is possible here on earth. Mrs. Powell takes a look at the education offered by CDA and reminds us of the value in the work we are accomplishing.
Feeding Children:
Why We Choose Classical, Christian Education Our family vacationed in Melbourne, Florida, this past summer and we took a brief detour on the drive home to visit the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. This zoological park features every living species of crocodile and alligator. The largest alligators are kept in a basin-shaped pit at the center of the park. One of the park’s featured attractions is the twice-daily alligator feeding. When we arrived twenty minutes prior to feeding time, the pit contained dozens of huge alligators lying motionless on the sand or in shallow pools. Although their eyes were mostly open, they seemed like statues. The crowd was thrilled when one huge beast slowly opened its mouth—and left if open for some time.
Once the feeding started, the alligators moved lethargically toward the young trainer who proceeded to throw some hard black pellets at them, squares about the size of a deck of cards. Apparently, all the calories and vitamins required by the alligators were contained in those pellets. I felt rather sorry for these great reptiles. Although the pellets might have nourished their bodies, the “soul” of the alligator—the essence of what it means to be an alligator--seemed unlikely to be satisfied with such a meal. As far back as Socrates, there have been two fundamentally different approaches to educating or “feeding” children. One side believes that education merely transmits the knowledge, traits, and abilities necessary for worldly success. These pragmatists have dominated the educational scene for the past one hundred years, often producing, in the words of columnist David Brooks “shrewd animals” rather than men. C. S. Lewis notes in Mere Christianity that one of the reasons we have trouble in longing for the kingdom of God is that “our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world.” The pragmatic approach fails to nourish the soul of the child by failing to recognize what it means to be truly human.