Disputatio today was pretty much awesome. Mr. NDW gave the talk. And, to tell you the truth, I wasn't too excited to go and hear what he had to say--it was supposed to be about his time in Florida with the former president Bushes and their family (I think he mentioned FL 4 or was it 5 times?). I heard a condensed version about it during my Rhetoric class and thought I had heard pretty much all he would have to say. Well, to my surprise and delight, he deviated from the assigned topic, and it turned out to be one of the best lectures I've heard since being up here and a double bonus because it corresponds oh, SO nicely with my up-and-coming paper =)
Funny how often God uses the circumstances and people that I don't like to teach me so much and grow me in all kinds of crazy directions. Sometimes I just get a kick out of God's humor.
ND talked about the importance of education, specifically appreciation for/enjoying the liberal arts. We as students are here to learn. We signed up for it. We should be putting our all into it.
He drew a great analogy based on the passage in Luke (12, I believe) about how from the people that have been given much, much will be required--sometimes all we have is little, insignificant, piddling; yet it's still from Him and we should give thanks for it in the midst of the trouble. In ND's example, his dad gave him a pile of gravel and a rake...he got to smooth out the pile countless times. In this life, whether it's in school or otherwise, we will be given tasks that we don't want to do and are hard at the time. But when we are faithful in what we have been given, we will be blessed/entrusted with more.
In lieu of continuing education, many Christian girls resist the stretching of their minds in favor of "staying home," folding clothes and waiting on the edge of their chairs for a Mr. Right to come along. This picture is completely wrong. Really wrong.
Girls should have a great education. Basically they should be so well rounded in such an assortment of skills and abilities that not only are they indispensable to the community they are living in, but not just any guy can stop by and sweep her off her feet. The qualifications to marry a guy should be so high that it can only be THE Prince Charming not just an almost-perfect guy.
Women are not just for "breeding purposes only." Women are the ones teaching, training, and influencing the children. They need to have a great education so that they can wisely instruct their children, to raise them up to become the best version of themselves that they can possibly be. And in doing so, keeping their focus solely on doing it all for the glory of God. Raise those boys and girls to grow up and make a difference, do some damage to our post-modern society.
Women are the culture shapers of the next generation.
Why is female education so important, you ask? Well, who is it that has the most profound impact on children? Who is the one who gives everything she can to further her children's lives? Who would rather die than see her children hurt and in pain? Her name is Mama. In modernity (and, I submit, in many ages past) women and their role at home as the dictator is severely under-vauled. Our culture says that if women are not out in the work force they are being suppressed and not able to realize their full potential. This is a far cry from the truth.
A women is liberated in staying at home, not so that she can be confined and restricted to only learning things from home. But she is able to pursue a countless number of things
not just honing in on one particular topic and perfecting all the minuscule details associated with it
(developing her secondary interests and talents, copious is all areas--a polymath of the domestic arts).
The world is her oyster; the stars are at her finger tips.
One of the ditches on the side of this worldview is valuing education for women more than is perhaps profitable. Being educated in the liberal arts enables a women to easily adjust to and be copious in so many areas of life. After all, a woman's first and rightful domain is the home. She should be capable and proficient. She should have a good grasp on things. She should get everything at home in line before she tries to run other people's lives (if that's even what she's called to be doing). Then and only then should her attention be taken away from the home-front. But hold on. What about us women who aren't married, raising kidos, and running a household?
I'm sure y'all know, I would be the first to stand up in favor of educating girls in the domestic arts and being intentional about learning first-hand through family/church/community ministry. S
ure, education is good (I am a girl and attending NSA, right?!!) and in many cases it is a great choice for young ladies. But going to college is not the only thing out there for girls.
It is quite sad to me that so many girls these days have no idea how to cook or do a load of laundry. These are just the baby-steps in learning how to be a great keeper at home. And I have no idea how any girl could even be thinking about getting married with out having a good grasp on these basics. Once they have been laid, however, there are endless possibilities of areas she could pursue.
The point is that women, whether is college, living at home, or in some other should be intentionally pursuing gaining a wealth of knowledge that will be her for the rest of her life.
We as women have a mighty powerful opportunity. How will you use your influence?
Go out and do some damage.
oh, and I ended up working in not only some of my ideas on the subject, but also some ideas from CS Lewis and other random parts of NDW lectures.
5 comments:
Is this the paper you are taking to Gwen today? I can't wait to hear what she thinks. I love this! Thanks so much for posting it. When you are done you should send this to LAF and see if they want to post it. :-)
yes, well, it's not really my paper, but several of these ideas are going to be in my paper...at least I hope. 30minutes and I'll know better what I am going to write on. why would LAF post it??
Hard to think of anyone who shoulders the burden of "Mom" as 'just' Mom. Gets back to that whole idea of 'vocation,' doesn't it?
I'd be interested to see your paper when it's done.
Christ's blessings on you.
PB
Always an interesting topic - nice work, Caity. :) What you said in paragraph 6 reminds me of an essay by G.K. Chesterton called "The Emancipation of Domesticity," where he says: "She should have not one trade but twenty hobbies; she, unlike the man, may develop all her second bests. . . . Women were not kept at home in order to keep them narrow; on the contrary, they were kept at home in order to keep them broad." I'm sure you're probably already familiar with this essay, but here's a link just in case you want to take a look. Chesterton seems to have a gem for every subject, doesn't he?
http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2007/gkchesterton_domwwww_july07.asp
From W.B. Sprague's Letters on Practical Subjects to a Dauther:
"While you profess to be a student, regard study as your main business; and make your amusement subordinate, and, so far as possible, subservient to it. Recollect that the period alloted to your education is comparatively short; and that every wasted hour of this golden season will tell fearfuly on your future destiny."
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