Be Educated

Sometime ago I heard, or was it read, a very interesting and profound statement - though I cannot remember who said it, I cannot forget what it said to me.

If I recall correctly, it was:

"An educated man is only an educated man,

an educated woman is an educated family."

It seems pretty harsh (& almost unkind) to say...wait a minute, before you "switch off", let's dissect (read between the words) &  hopefully digest it for our good...



It said at least 5 things to me:

1. Education is important. "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." ~ Nelson Mandela
2. Education is illuminating. "Education is the movement from darkness to light." ~ Allan Bloom
3. Education is impactful when shared with others. "Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another."  ~G.K. Chesterton
4. Education is invasive and pervasive.  Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living. ~ John Dewey
5. Education is interactive. Marian Wright Edelman  said: "Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it." I remember years ago, whenever we notice someone who is rather linear or myopic in their thinking, we said that such people "went through school but school didn't go through them." You know, those people who live life with blinders on. Walker Percy put it this way: "You can get all A's and still flunk life." The other thing is: "the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world" - that hand, more often than not, is a woman's hand. So it is beneficial to the world for that "hand" to be educated.

I tend to side with whoever made the statement about an educated woman - there is some truth in that. If you've seen the timeless classic, The Sound of Music, you cannot but agree with me: educated women empower others by educating them. Enlightened women - light up the world. We are blessed with an ability to pass on what we know from education, exposure or experience to all around us. 

In Proverbs 31:1, King Solomon shared what King Lemuel learned from his mother. Most of us may remember the joys and jolts of the discipling and discipling received at our mothers' knees - I certainly do and for that I'm eternally grateful. My mum made such an impact because she was educated, enlightened, exposed and experienced. Education is learning about the world around you. It's beyond the books read -

though those help too.

So whatever stage of life you're at, for your good & for the good of all around you -

Just B.E.