Practical Paideia

Lindsey Ralls (Summit Christian Academy)

One of the things I find myself often correcting my students (and my own kids) on, is their use of the word ‘good’. Frequently they say things like, “I think I did pretty good on that math test” or “practice went good”. I always remind them that they’re using the word good when they should be using the word well. The work they did on their math test wasn’t morallyexcellent. It was satisfactory, thorough, and complete. 

Last Wednesday, we had a Kenyan pastor visit our school. JP is the pastor of Karen Community Church in Nairobi Kenya and he is thinking about starting a school at his church. He toured both the Grammar School and the Upper School and also stopped by our admin meeting to ask a few questions. Before he left he asked us if he could pray for us. In his prayer he quoted Galatians 6:9 and prayed that we would ‘not grow weary in doing good’. I was so blessed by his prayer and it came at just the right time…I was feeling weary, as I’m sure is the case with many of you as well. 

Galatians doesn’t tell us to not grow weary in doing well. The Greek word here is kalos which is defined as: beautiful, lovely, virtuous and noble. Classical education is all about guiding our students in what is true, good, and beautiful. Essentially, this can be boiled down into one word: kalos. We want our students to be beautiful, lovely, virtuous, and noble members of society. We want them to aspire to live this way while also recognizing and valuing these attributes in others. 

As we move through March, arguably one of the toughest months of the school year, let us not grow weary in doing good. Is seems like such a simple word, but in reality it is anything but simple. Do not grow weary in doing the hard work. Do not grow weary in showing your students what is beautiful. Do not grow weary in pointing out what is lovely. Do not grow weary in demanding virtuous behavior.

We forget sometimes, that this verse has a second part. It is a verse with a promise. The Greek word for ‘in due season’ is kairos and it means ‘at the right, critical, or opportune moment‘.

As the nights get longer and the morning get earlier remember this promise. When you’re up grading papers because grades are due, or your disciplining that student again, or reminding your class of the assignment again, remember this promise. Do not grow weary in doing what is true, good, and beautiful because God has promised a harvest at the right, critical, and opportune time.