Church's view: the place where the horizons are expanding

Today, in all schools of Ukraine welcoming speeches are heard. Tens of thousands of children have crossed a school threshold for the first time to obtain knowledge necessary for their development as individuals.

In this regard, a key issue of responsibility is the emphasis here. It is impossible to dismiss or forget it, because in the hands of adults is not only the mind but the heart of a child.

Knowledge without morality is like a car moving forward at random, without a detailed map of the area. Now and then it gets to broken roads, dead ends and into the bog. As a consequence, the service life of the vehicle is consumed much faster, which results in its premature breakdowns and writing-off for scrap. But guided by conscience as a GPS-navigator, it is much easier to go even on the most dangerous routes. It will save from unnecessary accidents and flipping over into a ditch.

That is why one of the main tasks of a teacher is to maintain the light of morality in the heart of a child. Children should learn to respect their elders, not to offend the weak, to help those who need support, to be responsible for their actions, as well as to understand what is good and what is not good.

In this context, it is important for the teacher to be a living model of the truth for his pupils. If this does not happen, then the words of the eternal risk to disappear like smoke, leaving no significant mark in the child’s heart. And it can be a terrible defeat.

Our soul does not tolerate emptiness. If neither God nor conscience and goodness reside there, sooner or later in their place come the evil spirits, who sow their deadly weeds, out of which sinful habits grow, and this may impact not only the fate of a particular person, but perhaps even the entire country.

Just imagine that today's first-grader will eventually become, for example, the president of our country. If not to educate an integral personality with the right outlook on the world around us from school years, how then can he claim to live by the truth, putting aside corruption and other related to the power temptations?

Having said that, it must be remembered that school is not just a place where the horizons of our thought are expanding. There a human outlook is also forged, and his/her moral character is built. And I wish all teachers, pupils and their parents to go through all school years with dignity in order to become a worthy young generation that can bring the Motherland a lot of significant victories in all areas important for it! Strengthen, God, teachers and students!

Metropolitan Anthony, Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Source - AIF