The Educator’s Spiritual Health – TeachBeyond Argentina

To talk about teacher spirituality is to talk about human spirituality. According to Judeo-Christian anthropology, a human being is an inorganic matter that becomes a living soul by the breath of the Spirit of God. Therefore, this yearning for the transcendent, which we call spirituality, is an intrinsic condition of being human. We thirst for the eternal, and biblical words attest that God “has also set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).^[i] No matter how many people deny the possibility of knowing and relating to spiritual beings, the longing and the search for transcendence still remains.

That being said, what is the relevance of addressing this matter that is usually seen as a private concern? After all, some believe and others don’t, and still others fight any kind of religious manifestation. Here I make an important distinction between mere religiosity and true spirituality. The first is related to dogmas, empty rites and traditions; and the second is about the personal and unique expression of each individual in his or her relationship with the Transcendent. Based on the Judeo-Christian premise, we understand that God, the Creator, is a spiritual and personal being, endowed with rationality, affection, volition and relationality, as it is expressed in the Scriptures.

Although spirituality is a universal experience, each person expresses it uniquely. For those who call themselves as Christians, followers of the Way (as they were known in the past), what would this be like when we are teaching or carrying on with our daily life? I would like to propose three possibilities: personal devotion, social coherence, timely proclamation. Let’s briefly look at each one of them.

Personal Devotion

We said earlier that Christian spirituality has a relational component. We believe in a personal God who still communicates with his creation today and, in a special way, with those made in His image and likeness. Meditating on the Holy Scriptures, engaging with contents that reveal the person and action of God in history, and praying as a way to express desires, doubts, confession, gratitude, and adoration to our Father are daily spiritual disciplines that nourish the soul and give meaning to life. In the New Testament, the author of the letter to the Hebrews tells us: “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him,” (Hebrews 11:6) That is, we need to come before the Holy One with all of our being—body, mind, and heart—full of faith that rests on the certainty of His existence and immanence! Do you believe it?

Social Coherence

The other side of this issue is found in James’ letter which says “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” (James 2:18) Our salvation from eternal death comes through a declaration of repentance and faith in the atoning work performed by Jesus on the Cross. This is the confidence of all Christians, without them having to do anything to earn it. It’s just by faith! However, the expression of this faith occurs through good works performed later, as a consequence of a new and generous heart given by God. Good works, therefore, accompany faith! In other words, Christian teachers will be attentive to opportunities to serve in their work environment, expressing their spirituality through a well-prepared class and a commitment to students’ learning. They will look carefully at the signs emitted by their students of any difficulty in learning or behaviour that needs to be dealt with, respecting their individuality and looking for the best time. Christian spirituality, therefore, is not restricted to a private or merely religious experience, it is coherently related to all aspects of life. Have you been coherent?

Timely Proclamation

In my understanding, Christian spirituality is primarily incarnational. Our preaching or proclamation of what we believe begins with a minimum of coherence between believing and living out the faith in Christ. Love, respect, honour, forgiveness, sacrifice, and empathy are some of the marks of those who are called Christians. But Christian spirituality, and therefore that of the Christian teacher, is purposeful and does not miss out on opportunities to clearly express one’s faith. There is a revealed content that involves both the understanding of Jesus’ life and work, his coming, teaching, death, resurrection and return, but there is also the challenge to proclaim this content with the expectation of making new disciples of Jesus who will make other followers of Him! In some contexts, spirituality is addressed explicitly at school in the context of Religious Education. However, for the Christian faith, spirituality permeates all subjects and gives us a sense of urgency as we seek the opportunity to bear witness of our faith! How does evangelism happen at your school?

I conclude with a provocation: How have we lived out our spirituality? How is our alone time with God, the expression of our faith in the school environment and the communication of the Gospel among colleagues, students, management and other collaborators? We don’t live in an alienated “spiritsphere,” nor do we agree with some sort of spiritual schizophrenia, where we live one spirituality in the church, another one at home and another one at school! May our God give us the balance, the will and the boldness to live what we believe in a healthy spirituality, which is blessed and a blessing.

Erlo Saul Aurich

Board Member TeachBeyond Brazil

Erlo is a theologian, pastor and family therapist located in southern Brazil. He is the founder and pastor of the Biblical Alliance Church in Gramado and serves in the counselling ministry and board member for TeachBeyond Brazil, a volunteer with Youth for Christ and a faculty member at Eirene do Brasil.

Photo Credits:

Contemplation. Trevor Harder (Instagram: @trevorjharder). Used with permission.
Prayer. Morning Glory Christian Academy
Chapel. E Burnham