Neighbor Groups: Elevate EducationSample

Education Isn’t Equal 

At one point during His ministry, Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is.

After asserting that the most important command is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, Jesus followed up with this:

“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:39 NIV

Jesus was asked about the most important commandment—not the two most important. And even in bringing up the second one, He could have stopped with “love your neighbor.” Instead, He emphasized the importance of loving our neighbor in the way we would want to be loved. Loving our neighbor as ourselves involves justice. 

In the context of education, this kind of love means that whatever we would want for our own children, students, schools, and education, we should also want for everyone’s children, students, schools, and education.

When we look around at the schools in our community, it’s likely that we’ll see some differences. We might see schools that seem to be falling apart on the outside—and struggling to provide adequate heating or cooling on the inside. We might even have experienced those schools firsthand, whether in our own education or in that of our kids. 

The students in those schools are going to be preoccupied with their physical needs that aren’t being met before they’ll be able to focus on their teachers’ lessons. How can we respond to these differences—with so many kids not in the kind of learning environment they desperately need?

If we go back to the words of Jesus, we’ll see that in His commands to us, He’s inviting us to participate in His Kingdom here and now by advocating for others, just as we would advocate for ourselves.

This doesn’t have to mean some grand gesture of investing hundreds of dollars in a school—though it might be. Instead, start by asking yourself what you would want for your kids if they were in an under-resourced school. What area would you be most passionate about helping with? 

Maybe it’s tutoring or mentoring kids in your community. Maybe it’s getting to know your school board or advocating for better schools in your community.

Perhaps the changes we want to see in the schools around us start with us. 

Pray: Father, it doesn’t take long for me to look around and see inequalities in the schools, programs, and resources for the students in my community. Show me a need that I can meet and equip me to walk with the students and educators around me. I want for them what I want for myself. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: What has God given you that you can give to others—especially those who might be struggling from the inequalities in schools and education in your community?