To be successful in life, education is necessary. When we are born, we come into this world without knowing anything except those things that babies naturally learn by instinct. As we grow, we are intended to be educated. When people are kept from learning what life demands, suffering, poverty, and human inefficiency emerge, hindering people's ability to attain their full potential in life.
Throughout the Bible, God expresses the need for human beings to be educated. God as a creator and father of all humanity, was the first teacher of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2). According to the creation story in Genesis, we see God creating Adam and Eve and educating them on what to do and not do. This education was meant to continue throughout all generations. The entire word of God and the stories about his relationship with Israel is evidence of God’s desire to educate and guide humanity. God extends this responsibility to parents to teach their children (Duet. 6) and also to the priests to educate the community of Israel.
This summer, I saw many of my friends that I went to school with in Uganda (East Africa) who were not able to study beyond elementary school. They’re unable to read and write well. Thus they are unable to get good-paying jobs. They are limited to selling charcoal, making bricks, and farming. My friend’s current occupations are less than what they would have been capable of, had they been educated. Their lack of education affects not only them but their families, community, and nation at large. Many of them have been frustrated with life and have resorted to drunkenness and stealing in order to make ends meet.
As an organization working in Uganda and other parts of the world where adequate education is highly lacking, we have focused our efforts on enhancing holistic education and empowerment of people so they can realize their full potential. I was recently talking with one of our Ugandan friends (Moses Sekabira) who, after evaluating his previous school situation, found it necessary to transfer him from one school to another school where he will be able to receive a better education. Moses expressed that even though his parents are poor and don’t have resources and other properties for him to count on as heritage, the education he is receiving now at school and in the word of God is empowering him to be more resourceful as a person. The demands of our world today necessitate people to be resourceful. However, there is no way for people to be resourceful without them receiving the necessary education. Since my return to Uganda, I, alongside our team here, have been working hard to address some of the issues that our friends are facing in an effort to receive an adequate education.
The majority of the people in the world who have been left behind and are bound under the poverty line have been denied a chance to be educated. In the Gospel of John 8:32, Jesus envisions liberation and freedom of the people to come as a result of people knowing the truth, “…and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” If we desire to see justice and freedom for mothers, children, and impoverished communities, among others, we need to support holistic education programs geared toward responding to human needs and capacity development.
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