The Benefits (And Limits) of Education

When is the last time you thanked the Lord for the privilege of going to school?

Education is a blessing because human beings have a unique capacity to learn. Dogs can be trained, but they don't write poetry or ponder the meaning of life. Fish travel in schools, but they never graduate. God put within us a hunger to explore, to create, to understand. A little boy doesn't merely make things with Play Dough; he wonders how it tastes. When a mechanic looks at an engine, he wants to know why and how it runs.

Education is a blessing because there's joy in discovery. Even without traveling to a distant land, a reader can learn about its people, language, and food. I never met C. S. Lewis, but through his writings he has been one of my favorite instructors. There's joy in discovery when a space probe lands on Mars, when a chef unveils a new recipe, when a three year old smells a rose bud. Good teachers are travel guides who point their students in the right direction and help them observe the scenery along the path.

Education is a blessing because it helps us make informed decisions. "The wise man has eyes in his head" (Ecclesiastes 2:14), unlike the naïve individual who stumbles along in darkness. A well-rounded education does more than fill our minds with knowledge; it improves our ability to make wise and ethical decisions.

And yet, education is not the solution to every problem, and it definitely has some limitations. Israel's ancient king devoted himself to study and then wrote in Ecclesiastes about what he learned, noting, "What a heavy burden God has laid on men!" (1:13).

Education can be frustrating. Solomon cynically observed, "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (1:14). A diploma is a noble accomplishment, but it doesn't guarantee peace of mind. "Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body" (12:12).

Education often leads to dead-ends. The more we learn, the more questions arise and the more problems we cannot solve. "What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted" (1:15). Apart from God's Word, how can we ever know the cause or the cure of this world's crookedness? Science and technology alone can't straighten things out or fill up empty human hearts. I heard about a cynical toymaker who designed an educational toy to teach children about the real world: No matter how the kids put it together, it's wrong.

Ultimately, an education that ignores or mocks God leaves us "chasing after the wind" (1:17). It's foolish to learn about creation but ignore the Creator. Fine arts enrich our lives, but we'll miss the greater joy if we leave out the finest Artist. An educated mind without a sincere faith equals an unfulfilling life. "For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief" (1:18). As Bob Russell points out, "Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, was a Harvard graduate and had served as a math professor at Berkley. Yet his knowledge of physics only enhanced his ability to maim and kill by sending explosives through the mail. . . . Informing the mind without transforming the heart only produces a more dangerous sinner."

All the diplomas and degrees in the world can't defeat death. That's why Ecclesiastes sums it all up by saying, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (12:13). Ultimately we will find abundant and eternal life only in the classroom of the Master Teacher.