I Have a Lot to Learn

Chapel Talk September 13, 2011

I have a lot to learn.

I’ve spent the past 45 years trying to make sense of things. I’m lucky to have had some incredible teachers along the way and I’m fortunate that many of my friends have had an interest in the way things work as well.

I’m reminded about just how little I know almost every day and for that I’m truly grateful. I’m a big believer in the idea that when we stop learning and when we stop being curious about the world is about the same time that we become complacent and when we stop wanting to understand other people’s points of view. That’s when bad things happen like war, injustice, racism, and prejudice. That’s when we stop working together to solve problems and begin to judge each other and make fun of each other to make ourselves feel better, bigger, and more powerful.

The overall reason for learning, it seems to me, is to find out about the world around us and all the interesting people and things the world contains. As we discover more and more about these things, we also develop a sense of ourselves and begin to understand our purpose in the world.

Here in Chapel, we hear stories about how others lived their lives, how we are supposed to make decisions, and why it’s important to try to do the right things. Here in Chapel, we dedicate ourselves to the enormous task of trying to make things better. Here in Chapel we are thankful to God for allowing us an opportunity to gather together in our shared work to improve ourselves and our world.

This is why we should have great respect for learning. Learning is, in its most basic form, the best way we have to connect to each other and to our world. We are all joined together through our shared desire to do the things in our lives that help to make a difference.

No single person on the planet has the whole story. No single person in this Chapel has all the answers, but if you listen, learn, and act with respect and a belief in yourself and in others, collectively, we answer the big questions each and every day.

The more I know, the more I understand just how little I, in fact, know. The more I have the chance to talk with people, hear their ideas and listen to their concerns, the more I understand that it takes a collective effort on the part of each and every one of us to figure out the hard problems and to learn to live together in peace.