“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ”
When I was at University, I was introduced to the work of an American psychologist, Abraham Maslow. He did a lot of work around human needs and growth and the development of individuals. He had a five-point hierarchy of needs, which has been developed by others over time to become seven or eight. The current eight-point scale is biological and physiological needs, safety needs, love and belongingness needs; esteem needs; cognitive needs, aesthetic needs, self-actualization needs, and Transcendence needs.
To a certain extent, they make sense. From where I stand, as principal of a growing Christian school, Maslow and his contemporaries have deliberately missed a critical part to the hierarchy of needs. Maslow, along with many psychologists, did not think religion had any role in human development. Work has been done by people who can show clear links to the needs hierarchy and biblical teaching.
While reading further into this area I came across this story.
“Immediately after World War II the allied armies gathered up many hungry, homeless children and placed them in large camps. There the children were abundantly fed and cared for. However, at night they did not sleep well. They seemed restless and afraid.
Finally, a psychologist hit on a solution. After the children were put to bed, they each received a slice of bread to hold. If they wanted more to eat, more was provided, but this particular slice was not to be eaten—it was just to hold.
The slice of bread produced marvellous results. The child would go to sleep, subconsciously feeling it would have something to eat tomorrow. That assurance gave the child a calm and peaceful rest.”
Jesus Christ describes himself as the bread of life. He knows, as do all of us who know Jesus personally, that life is more than facts and figures. Education is critically important. The provision of needs is important. When we miss the most important need, which is the security of eternal life and an ongoing relationship with God in the ‘here and now’, we miss the foundations upon which to build a life. This sets the lens for education. Jesus is not just the lens but the heart of education at Emmanuel Christian School.
Scott Winkler - Principal