A basic understanding of the concepts is important. This was a statement that was stated many times in school. But what are the concepts based on? In college you learn a lot about concepts, principles and theories. Case studies are used a lot more in schools these days, based on real world experience?

What is school and why do we go to a place, or study on-line in order to learn a subject(s)? The reason being is that we learn to think. In a world that comes at us a mile a minute, it is often a case where we just take an impression of what is said and act on gut instinct rather than taking an educated guess.

What is an educated guess? In college there are general education requirements. These are often thought about as wastes of time, but are they? It is like building a boat, we can throw it together and hope it floats or we can take the building in a painstakingly step-by-step mode and really sand the hard points to a smoothness that gives us more than just a boat that floats. I think that is what going for a degree is more in tune with because the general education requirements assist us in getting a better idea of what works and how it works rather than just going over the finer points of the main degreed subject matter. A "well-rounded education" to quote many is important because what we can learn in addition to what we want to learn can give us a better idea of how things work and what place the main subject matter has in the overall universe of academia.

If we are to understand the world around us it is better to have an idea of how things work outside ourselves. Just imagine a person who goes through life subsisting on apples. They are not getting all the nutrients and vitamins they need. So just taking the classes you are interested in or are specific to the main degree matter (i.e. business classes, engineering classes, etc.) is like just eating the apple and hoping to survive.

Did Jesus Christ take educated guesses? It would seem that by reading the Bible and the many passages in red (if you have the red-lettered edition) that Christ was a very educated man and knew how to, not only present himself well, but to also have an impact on those around him to such an extent that have compelled people for two millenniums to seek the guidance of His words in the Bible. Just the fact that he spoke in parables helps you to realize that his real world experiences were very strong and that he, more than most, knew what he was talking about.

John 18:37-38 Pilate replied, "But you are a king then?" "Yes," Jesus said. "I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth are my followers." 38 "What is truth?" Pilate exclaimed. Then he went out again to the people and told them, "He is not guilty of any crime. TLB

It seems as the years go by that more and more textbooks are being filled with case studies. It is because the writers have realized something that Jesus knew two thousand years ago. Jesus talked many times in parables. He knew that making a comparison was a lot more powerful than just merely spouting theory and principals. He made the need for case study an integral part of the educational process.

I think that Jesus knew how to talk to people in a way that was not condescending and also in a way that gave people a feeling of his knowledge base and his mastery of the metaphor. He could make comparisons very well and these comparisons illustrated his point. I think that if Jesus Christ was a man again that he could win a presidential debate because of the rapport He had with people and could also do it in a way that would in no way attack the other candidates character. Unfortunately, in this day and age, it is easier for people to find fault in others and point out those faults, than to speak on the issues and where they stand.

Proverbs 17:16 It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a rebel who has no heart for truth. TLB

We can go through life with blinders on to the world, or we can seek opinion so that we can form our own. I believe that is what Jesus did, He formed an opinion based on real world experiences, rather than picking up a newspaper, or tablet as the case may have been, to find others negative opinions or sensationalism.

A person can get so caught up in the sensationalism of the press and tabloids and form an opinion based on another person's slighted viewpoint. We can do research to find out what is a good opinion and learn from that research. That research can be learned through taking classes. That opinion can be formed though a thorough general education so we can take what we learned to take an educated guess of the way things should be rather than taking another person's opinions as fact.

So in other words, take the time to form an educated opinion rather than riding the wave of the sensationalistic press. Learn from the real world as Christ did and you will be all the better for it.

Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes we can get so caught up in others slighted opinion not realizing that we have not based our opinions on research that we have taken the time to come up with. During these times, help us find the insight to form our own educated guesses so that we can live a life that is more conducive towards a better understanding of the world that you created for us. We thank you for all your many blessings. Amen.

Benediction: Now, Lord, Bless us in our daily lives. Help us to smell the roses whenever possible, to shine our light on those less fortunate than us, and lead us in the path we should go. For you are the light that keeps our path well lit. Help us to follow it, until we meet you, in a land where milk and honey abound, a place where our most wonderful dreams are fulfilled. Amen.

Hi, my name is Bryan, a messenger of hope who would love to hear from you. God Bless.

© 2006 Bryan Hill