DISCOVERY OF IGNORANCE

By : Lunminthang Haokip

ORIGINAL IDEAS: Philosophers down the ages vied with one another to give the bes
t definition of education. To Aristotle, it meant a succinct, "Creation of a sou
nd mind in a sound body." Plato was more eloquent, "I mean by education that tra
ining which is given by suitable habits to the first instincts of virtue in chil
dren". The definitions evoke profound thoughts but, at the same time, invoke one
's sensibility to disagree a bit that the statements, despite reflections of hig
h intellectual potency, partly border on rhetorical idealism.
Ignorance Fades Out: Education, indeed, is an endless series of systematic instr
uctions that enlighten the mind, mould the character and strengthen the mental p
ower. It throws light upon areas of ignorance that handicap the unlettered from
making a scholastic and intellectual headway. Cobwebs of doubt and notional erro
rs gradually fade out in the course of its progress as doses of learning trickle
in. It also brings about considerable restraint in one in the discernment of th
e right and the wrong and in adherence to traditional dos and taboos.
Thought Fine-Tuning: However, for all the amazing acceleration to advancements o
f knowledge and technology it had achieved for humanity, education did and does
little to belittle the penchant to break Godâ s Laws in a mortal being. This unfort
unate lapse cripples the growth of the soul and the spirit to fine-tune their be
nt of thought to that of the Creator's.
Remember Thy Creator: "Remember Thy Creator in the days of the youth (Ecclesiast
es 12:1)". I can't spin yearns about religions I don't know much about. But the
religion I follow thrives on its relevance to the Creator and His Creation. We o
we everything to Jehovah who made us with a purpose. As the planets revolve arou
nd the sun, we are to be God-centered. Its antithesis is being self-centered. Th
e moment the earth ceases to move in an orbit around the sun, there'll be no sea
son and no life on it. The same fate will befall an education devoid of the Word
of God to keep it under check and the inspiration to stimulate subjection to Hi
s will, to balance it.
The Days Of Thy Youth : Youth is a time when you care about a thousand matters b
ouncing about. You abound in boundless raw energy and potential. Properly tapped
, the natural endowments can catapult you to peak performance facilitating your
dream ambitions to come true. It's when the foundation of life's later-day store
y are laid. If you wouldn't play ball with the voice of your conscience by willi
ng to do what your Maker insists, the tower of your hopes will crumble down like
a house of cards.
The Hangover: It's tougher than you imagine, to undo in middle-age the m
edley of bad things you did in your adolescence. Once bloomed, the rose can't sh
ut and become a bud again. One's life is built on the values and beliefs one abs
orbs and cherishes in one's formative days. Youth's when you don't even know wha
t's good for you to do to ensure a happy manhood, old-age and ending. So, there'
s no better insurance than to bet on and intertwine the gamut of your juvenile i
nterests with that of an all-knowing God who "Declares the end from the beginnin
g, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done (Isaiah 46:10)."
Need For Shepherding: A youth, at his best, is like a sheep unsure of his next s
tep. Jehovah said, the shepherd-boy-turned-king David was a man after his own he
art. Yet, in selfless meekness, David wrote is Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my Shephe
rd; I shall not want. " If David needed it, how much more shepherding you and I
need?
The Ultimate Truth : Tagore opined, "Education enables the mind to find out the
ultimate truth which emancipated us from the bondage of dust and giving the weal
th not of in
ner light, not of power but of love making this truth its own and giving express
ion to it."
Collision Course: It sounds great. Yes, education helped us in finding the hidde
n truths in artistic, scientific, cosmic and atomic ventures. But are we emancip
ated in the true sense? Taught to be ultimately under the bondage of prejudice-t
ainted parochial and paranoiac pulls and pushes, the world's region-compelled co
ntradicting national priorities-in-conflict are on an accursed course of a head-
on collision.
The Last Fight: This restlessness spreading between two poles is destructively t
earing itself apart from blast to blast. Thanks to hi-tech atomic conceptions an
d perverted religious fanaticism, weapons of a last reel-climactic global annihi
lation are piled up and used in striking strategic venues. The new defense syste
m is to go nuclear. At this rate of It may not be long before modernity's marvel
ed monuments of pride are blown up to cinders. Is our education taking us to suc
h a horrible holocaust?"
Limited Truths: Education also is a progressive learning and application of rela
tive truths that do wonders to improve the lot of mankind. Relative truths have
their own limitations. They do add to head-knowledge and contribute a great deal
in attainment of excelling know-how in various fields. Using them, citadels of
economic power and military might can be built up. When that's done, the morale
of the soul, the seat of one's emotions, is boosted sky-high. But, in the absenc
e of a diligence- controlled piloting of a sane spirit, all that human sentiment
can command to be carried out from the cardiac cockpit will end up in smoke.
The Soul And The Spirit: The natural mind is seized by fleshly designs unlimited
. The spirit alone can relate to the mind of God. A strong spirit will rein in t
he soul and the body which represent the outer-man. But it's often the other way
round. In most persons, the godly promptings of the inner-man, the spirit, are
choked and rendered ineffective by the emotional concerns of the flesh and the s
oul.
The Good And The bad: Everybody has traits and traces of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hy
de in himself. If Dr. Jekyll is to hold ground, Mr. Hyde shall have to go underg
round. The corporeal demeanor stems out of a mindset steeped in a soulical dispo
sition. When the soul asserts itself full force, the spirit is weakened, shaken
and can scarce hold its ideals on like a hubby made a cuckold of. And, the inner
-man, the epitome of virtue and righteousness, becomes a helpless puppet on the
string pulled with gusto by the outrageous outer-man.
Truth That Delivers: What's the ultimate truth that will deliver the soul from t
he deception of the evil gambit the devil cunningly moves to trample the spirit
upon? "Jesus saith unto them, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comet
h unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6)." He's the son of God who's the same ye
sterday, today and tomorrow. His teachings are absolute truths that mirror the s
in-filled state-of-the-heart like a state-of-the-art closed-circuit camera does
to the surreptitious movements in its focus.
The Weakness of Learning: University academics may confer a big degree t
o a studious scholar. But will the accredited academic accomplishment actuate hi
s heart to appropriate the calling of his conscience? No. A college-level certif
ication qualifies a man to teach, but can it guarantee the qualified teacher to
do justice to the ethics of his profession? Will the knowledge he gathered in hi
s head make him shudder from engaging a proxy-teacher for himself at a pittance
while he noses around for means to earn an extra-income? A big no. An officer ma
y have all the Rules and Acts his job requires him to be conversant in at his fi
nger-tips. But can that stop him from holding back impulses to bend rules and ac
t against his own conscience? Experience proves the contrary true.
Ruthless Wizardry: Focused study of and training on a specialized discipline tur
ned a few young zealots into dare-devil aeronautical wizards. Fervidly set to av
enge a jingoistic grudge triggered by religious fervour, no sense of professiona
lism could divert the minds of the ruthless terrorists from being hell-bent on t
he suicidal aerial attacks. All the hi-tech expertise they imbibed with no stirr
ing of the spirit, failed to kindle in them a feeling of sympathy for the thousa
nds of comparatively innocent family-men and women who were burnt alive when the
y in full consciousness, rammed the hijacked jetliners against the twin WTC towe
rs on Sept. 11 last. Why ? Because their spirits were dead while the soulical te
mper was super active at supersonic speed.
The Key To Rid Guilt: Repentance, confession of sins, cleansing of the conscienc
e and accepting Lord Jesus as one's personal Saviour alone can sensitize the spi
rit to life and grace. That's the ultimate truth that will save a guilty wretch
from the pincer-clutch of such a bohemian bondage. "And ye shall know the truth
and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32)."
Being Made Free: What's it like being freed by Jesus? Now you have complete vict
ory over the sinning tendencies harboured by and harnessed in the old nature. Ha
ving forsaken ways abominable and crazes deplorable, the Lord of Lords gives you
a new contrite heart that throbs and thirsts to do things righteous. The trying
traits you hated but couldn't do without trouble you no more. Earlier, your eye
s mechanically went through your lessons in study. But your mind drew a blank be
cause it was in use elsewhere in a mental date with someone who'd stolen your he
art or you'd given your heart to. But now, the spirit of the Lord keeps you in p
erfect liberty to concentrate upon your studies by being spiritually anchored to
the power of the cross.
Fear God For Wisdom: " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs
9:10). " Because you fear the Lord and obey His words, the flood-light that the
Gospel truth trails along leads you to deeper truths. It helps you realize that
romancing around with a boy-friend or a girl- friend, instead of patiently pray
ing in chastity to God for a suitable partner of His choice, would certainly end
up in heart-breaks. If broken hearts aren't taken out of emotion-driven agony b
y calming with healing words of grace and not mended with the love of Calvary, t
he devil may bluff and turn the love-story into a tragedy of suicide. Parents sh
ould take a serious mental note of this.
The Spirit-Led: The light also exposes the devouring darkness in succumbing to
â the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of lifeâ , subtly opposing
the Gospel, knowing people after the flesh etc. Your renewed spirit steers your
way clear from all these diabolic snares as a flying plane does from a solid obj
ect to avert a crash. God's name is hallowed when one lives a holy life. Spiritu
al promotion follows. Joseph was jailed for his aversion to amorous advances mad
e by Potiphar's wife. Later, Pharoah declared his spiritual stature in purity, "
Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God (Genesis 41:3
8)."
Wisdom From Above: Worldly wisdom wavers. Godly wisdom doesn't. But it comes wit
h a heavy price-tag of strict bodily discipline and spiritual sagacity. King Neb
uchadnezzar of Babylon of yore had a dream that hassled his spirit. There was no
t a man on earth who could interpret it. But, because "Daniel purposed in his he
art that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King's delicacies n
or with the wine which he drank (Daniel 1: 8), "God gave him knowledge and skill
in literature and wisdom and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams
(Daniel 1:17)."
The Excellent Spirit: The succeeding King, Darius, the Mede, was equally impress
ed by the unblemished deportment of young Daniel. The king made him one of the t
hree governors. The other two got jealous. A wicked plot was hatched to implicat
e and finish off Daniel who the king favoured. But, "Because an excellent spirit
was on him (Daniel 6:3)," he never wavered in his wisdom to worship anything ot
her than the true living God. He was thrown into the lion's den for his daring f
aith. However, he came out unscathed. Darius wrote in owe, "I make a decree that
in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Dan
iel (Dan 6:26)". What a blessing it will be if our present rulers follow suit.
Discoveries By Providence : It gives a tangible touch to the Almighty's supreme
authority over the universe to learn that most of the greatest discoveries on ea
rth didn't happen by chance but providence. Obedience to the word of God provide
d solution to the most mind-boggling problems in scientific research and finding
s. The right stance taken by the Wright Brothers to keep the Sabbath holy receiv
ed divine reward in the form of the invention of the aero plane. The God fearing
Brothers had to deny an audience to the king of Spain who came all the way to A
merica to watch a test-flight on the Lord's day.
The Silver Is The Lordâ s : A Christian who doesn't bring one-tenth of his income i
n the holy church will squander ten-tenth of the same in an unholy search. A rev
ersal of the above act of unfaith, however, pays rich dividends. Colgate, the en
trepreneur's faithful tithing from a normal one-tenth to an incredible nine-tent
h of his earnings, endeared him to Him who reigned in heaven. The Colgate brand
of products, became a household name worldwide. "The silver is Mine, and the gol
d is Mine, says the Lord of host (Haggai 2:8)".
A Call To Heaven : It was another spirit-guided brother in Christ, Samuel Morse,
who sent the first telegraphic message from Washington to Baltimore in 1791. Ev
en in the wording of the first message ever transmitted, the Maker of heaven and
earth was glorified. It read, "What God hath wrought." This paved the way for o
ther line discoveries like the telephone, the wireless, the TV etc. It all prove
d that Heaven's ears are open to the broken-hearted who, equipped with a faith t
hat matches the value of the genius sought to be gifted, dials the following ve
rse as heaven's telephone number, "Call to me and I will answer you and show you
great and mighty things which you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3)."
Faith Discovered America : Great wisdom that education knows nothing about are s
tored up in the scriptures of the Bible. Concealed to the atheistically ambitiou
s, the Creator did not and will not hesitate to reveal the mysteries of the eart
h to the intrinsically righteous seeker, "But there is a God in heaven who revea
ls secrets (Dan 2:28)."
The Big Question: Towards the close of the 15th century, Christopher Columbus wa
s a spirit-charged soundly converted young navigator all set for an around-the-w
orld trip by sea. But he wasn't quite sure whether the earth was round or flat.
Starting the gripping experimental journey from a place in England, was it possi
ble for him to come back at the same point of departure after a round trip by sh
ip?
The Revelation: So, in sanctified zest coupled with a zeal extra-ordinary, Colum
bus knocked heaven's door in passionate prayer. God gave his perplexing doubt a
history-changing clearance in Isaiah 40:22, "It is He who sits above the circle
of the earth." This miraculous guidance was the backing basis Christopher deciph
ered and translated into oceanic adventurism that finally discovered the blessed
America. Written about 681 years before Christ, God had already revealed to the
prophet Isaiah then, that the earth was spherical. It took a deeply devoted bel
iever to find out the universal truth 2180 (approx.) years after Isaiah's prophe
sy.
Job-Cuts And Life-Cuts : At present, the country as well as our state, Manipur,
is burdened with the exploits of the educated unemployed. Disappointment looms l
arge in the placement scenario here, and even in a super-rich nation like the U.
S. The situation worsened after the multi-national Executive-laden WTC buildings
were reduced to rubbles and debris. Job-cuts hurt some more than life-cuts in t
he terrible strikes by fully-fuelled jet planes. At times, one can't help wonder
ing whether the hard-earned money shelled out through their noses by high-strung
parents in their children's academic pursuits will ever bring remotely proporti
onate returns. Is there enough job-opportunities for all the wannabe techies und
ergoing diversified courses in the promissory institutes of this country and bey
ond? If the supply by far exceeds the demand for degree-holders angling for big-
salaried vacancies, who should we blame? Ourselves, of courses.
God Honours Those Who Honour Him : God is not blameworthy. Everything, including
the air, the waters, the continents and the cosmos belong to Him. "For Thine is
the Kingdom and the power and the glory for ever (Mathew 6:13)", is the bottom-
line of the Lord's prayer. He's under no compulsion to bestow blessings upon any
land. He's in full liberty " to honour those who honour Him (1 Sam. 2:30)." Jeh
ovah is the unseen force behind the rise and fall of every regime. "Most high ru
les in the Kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses (Dan 4:32)."
Honour Who?:So, if from Him we get with the good tidings, an assortment of curs
es like floods, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, wars and super-cyclones at regu
lar intervals, let's search ourselves. Hardest hit is our economy which isn't li
kely to recover unless retrenchment is well entrenched in it. Let's ask ourselve
s. Whether we honour or dishonour Him in our policies, their execution, and form
ulation of controversial agenda? Or do we defy the Creator and deify the creatur
es in the curricular syllabi we endorse in the top-level councils for our school
s and col-leges to feed upon?
Human Wisdom: No Patch On Godâ s: Education articulates knowledge and religion prov
ides the edges of the hedge that silently pledges to guard the soul and prevent
the abuse of know-how. Imbalanced imposition of the former activates atheism and
excessive enthusiasm about the latter fans fanaticism. God approves neither. He
has scant regard for the puffed-up psyche that inflates the ego of the proud. M
ussolini, in the height of his notoriety, dared challenge the existence of God.
The all-hearing Author of lives saw to it that the fascist leader died a dog's d
eath on the streets. Womenfolk spat upon him. "I will destroy the wisdom of the
wise and bring to nothing understanding of the pru-dent (1 Cor 1:19)." Nobody, h
ow wise, de¬rides the Almighty and gets away with it.
Super-President?: Bill Clinton got excellent ranking as the president of the glo
be's only remaining super-power worth its fighter-bombers. The maverick former P
rezâ s statesmanship is talked about in glowing terms. His speeches are given at a
hefty price around the globe, even today.. But because he himself violated the 7
th Commandment of God, the guilt-ridden Prez removed the 10 Commandments from th
e wall of the White House, said Dr. Joshua Daniel, an international radio Preach
er and Revival¬ist, recently. This could have partly accounted for the unexpect
ed WTC devastation.
The Unexpected: In the Truth-emboldened Preacher's own words, "Who could have co
nceived of a passenger plane with it's full complement of flight attendants and
crew loaded with 60,000 gallons of aviation fuel being turned into a powerful mi
ssile which would be expertly diverted into those massive towers, causing their
collapse on six thousand men and women who were outstandingly brilliant leaders
in various fields of commercial and technological enterprise."
Perfect Education: Perfect education, therefore, is a system of learning in whic
h, other things remaining equal, God is reverenced, pure hearts are produced and
eternal values are introduced. Here, we are just pilgrims under-transit awaitin
g a grim judgement by the son of God. Then, we'll regret being born if we had no
t been born again in Jesus. "For there is no other name under heaven given among
men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). "
Mesmerized by the glitz and glitter the corrupt world entices by, the scowling s
coffer will not buy that. St. Paul had written about it in the first century its
elf, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, bu
t to us who are being saved, it is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18)." And that's th
e ultimate truth we know and need to know on earth so as to be emancipated from
death's dust and hell-fireâ s ashes.
Greatest Discovery : And what's the greatest discovery? Sir James Simpson who ma
de a number of scientific discoveries, including that of the anesthetic property
of chloroform, when asked this question, answered in humility, " The greatest d
iscovery ever made was that I am a great sinner but that Jesus Christ was my Sav
iour."