There's Nothing More Important

 

There’s Nothing More Important

Theology in the Trenches

by Kathleen Kjolhaug

 

There’s nothing more important than a teacher. I’m a teacher. Touching the lives and inspiring children…well…there is simply nothing more important.

There’s nothing more important than a teacher, unless of course, you become sick. Then, there’s nothing more important than a doctor. The way they restore you in order to get back to teaching…well…there is simply nothing more important than a doctor.

There’s nothing more important than a doctor, unless that is, you need to follow up from doctor’s orders and of course, you will then need a good nurse. No, there’s nothing more important than a nurse because the doctor needs to do his work so the teacher can get back to teaching.

There’s nothing more important than being a nurse, unless that is, the nurse needs sustenance. Then, there’s nothing more important than a chef in the deli to prepare the food for the nurse to eat so they can, in turn, support the doctor who can help the teacher.

There’s nothing more important than a chef in the deli, unless that is, the refrigerator system goes bad and needs resurrecting. Then, there is nothing more important than a technician or sales representative who can steer you in the right direction in order to get it fixed. No, there is nothing more important than technicians and sales representatives to keep all things up and running so the chef can cook, so the nurse can eat, so the doctor can get support needed to help heal the teacher because…after all…there’s nothing more important than a teacher.

There is nothing more important than a good technician and sales representative unless, that is, they need a little vacation to help sustain them. Then, there’s nothing more important than a good travel agent to help plan the respite needed to continue on in their work. Once they’ve rested, they can then fix what’s broken so the chef can cook, the nurse can eat, the doctor can depend upon healthy support in order to help heal the teacher.

Come to think of it, the travel agents, the technicians, the sales representatives, the chef, the nurse, the doctor, and the teacher all had to be taught at some point by a teacher within their profession. And so, I rest my case. There’s simply nothing more important than a good teacher.

Moms teach. Dads teach. Pastors teach. Beauticians teach their clients how to care for their hair until the next time they meet. An artist teaches others about the beauty of what their mind sees. Sanitation workers teach us how to serve well as we watch in awe what they do to keep our lives in order. Secretaries keep the bills in order for many a craft, and speaking of craft, the organizers of such shows constantly build community in many an area of life. And so it goes...

I pray You remind us all that it is not we who first taught…but You who first taught us. For You taught us to pray: “Our Father, Who art in Heaven…” (Matt. 6:9-13). This from the best teacher ever and there’s simply nothing more important.   Amen.