Alba Leonor Camacho*
Bucaramanga, Colombia
When we speak of EDUCATION AND LOVE; we cannot help but think of the EDUCATION GIVEN BY JESUS, which was, and will be a true act of love. A model to follow, with simplicity, gentleness; but seriousness in every act of learning.
One of the many examples that He has given us and that today serves as a reference to the topic to be discussed is the Bible passage of the Rich Young Man, since here we are going to face knowledge, morality, and material wealth, which in many moments of our lives we have lived them.
The young man knew Jesus, his life teachings, and wanted to follow them to be better: but when Jesus tells him: “Sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” 1.
That request left him astonished, surprised; for he rested on a bed of precious woods, fed himself with delicious delicacies, and cared for his body with oil massages, wrapping it in linen fabrics. He had everything, he had received the best education for the time but he did not understand life and was thirsty for peace; for his heart was empty, beneath a veil of unspeakable bitterness. Listening to the sweetness and authority of that voice, its simple but loving teachings, his life began to change, even though the material was more important in the balance of life than the spiritual.
How many of us have had experiences like the Rich Young Man, that we believe with money and material goods we have achieved everything and even more, if we have had the opportunity to study in prestigious and expensive educational institutions and universities, we feel we are the best-educated people since good education is related to high educational costs. How much ignorance is still present; since INSTRUCTION is often confused with EDUCATION.
The distinguished Spiritism Codifier Allan Kardec as a great pedagogue and with the guidance of the Superior Spirits taught us:
“IT IS THROUGH EDUCATION, RATHER THAN INSTRUCTION, THAT MANKIND WILL BE TRANSFORMED.” 2
Instruction is more specifically the learning of science; it develops and enriches intelligence and strengthens talent. On the other hand, when we talk about EDUCATION, we are talking about the learning of life, which helps us to direct and strengthen our heart, to form our character, to awaken our conscience for the development of virtues.
When speaking of EDUCATION as an act of Love, we cannot fail to remember this famous phrase of the Father of the Pedagogy of Love:
“Only with Love can Love be guided. The culture of man will not ennoble the intellect; it is not based on the culture of Love.
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi.
In the educational line of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, and Allan Kardec, we find fundamentals based on EDUCATION AS AN ACT OF LOVE, let us see some of them:
Love as an essential principle in Education.
There must be a correlation between Love, Spirit, and Matter.
That is why in Spiritism when we speak of Education, we speak of moral transformation, of that harmonious development between intellect and morality.
Complementing these teachings with The Spirit Book we see in question 685:
“(…) There is one element of the question that has not been considered sufficiently and economics is just a theory without it: education. Not merely intellectual education, but moral education, that which consists in the formation of character and habits, which human beings do not learn from books. Education is the sum of the habits acquired.” 3
If Education is an essential element in the development of the human being, let us imagine what EDUCATION provided as AN ACT OF LOVE will be like.
That is why the Master of Love teachings, at all times, are and will be ACTS OF LOVE, let us seek Him, let us know Him, and let us work on living His teachings; because only through His Love will we reach the Father.
Today, as a father, mother, or teacher, before worrying about filling our children and young people with so much knowledge, let us seek in them what they bring in the depth of their Spirit, as Socrates did, and let us start from there to teach them to live life with Love.
“Love is of a divine essence, and everyone, from the most humble to the most elevated, has a spark of this sacred fire in the bottom of their hearts.” 4
“Love is a treasure that, the more it is divided, the more it multiplies and becomes richer as it is shared.”
“The more it grows, the more it donates. It is fixed with more power, the more it is radiated.” 5
Therefore, let us take advantage of this beautiful opportunity that life gives us to be EDUCATORS and EDUCATE WITH LOVE.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Amalia Rodrígues. Psicografía de Divaldo Pereira Franco.
Allan Kardec “Credo Espirita”, de Obras Póstumas.
Allan Kardec. The Spirit’s Book.
Allan Kardec. Law of Love. Chapter XI. The Gospel According to Spiritism.
Joanna de Ângelis Psicografía de Divaldo Pereira Franco. Amor invencible Amor.
*Alba Leonor Camacho has a degree in Early Childhood Education and a specialization in Family Therapy. Advisor of the Department of Family, Childhood, and Youth of the Colombian Spiritist Confederation.
