On this day in history, February 8th in 1693, the College of William and Mary was founded in Williamsburg, Virigina. [1] The College of William and Mary was founded as a higher education institution to train Anglican ministers. It is the second oldest higher education institution in the United States. [2] (Havard is the oldest institution, founded in 1636. [3])
Famous alumni include Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler, and the first Supreme Court Justice, John Marshall.
Imagine Washington, Jefferson and Marshall sitting in their classes at the College of William and Mary learning philosophy, theology and rhetoric. Those classes would have formed the perspectives and ideas that led to Washington’s military strategy, Jefferson’s composition of the Declaration of Independence and Marshall’s court opinions.
More recently, Jon Stewart and Glenn Close graduated from the College. [4] Imagine Jon Stewart sitting in his courses during the 1980s on politics and communication. Viewpoints that he learned at the College influenced how he hosted The Daily Show, which millions of people watched. [5]
In 2004, Stewart was invited back to receive an Honorary Doctorate and to give the commencement speech at this undergraduate insitution. True to his comedic form, he greeted the graduates by stating, “I congratulate the students for being able to walk even a half a mile in this non-breathable fabric in the Williamsburg heat” and then offered his perspective on success. [6]
The alumni of the College of William and Mary, whether George Washington or Jon Stewart, show that education matters in the forming and influence of ideas, perspectives and viewpoints. Washington’s ideas and perspectives affected the course of an entire nation. Stewarts’s views shaped millions of people and indirectly affected the outcome of elections.
Jesus, when He came to live as man on earth, demonstrated and taught on the importance of education. As a teenager, He was at the temple courts learning from the teachers and actively engaged in asking questions (Luke 2:41-52) and He upheld the value and authority of a teacher to influence their students (Mat. 10:24).
However, He challenged and sharply confronted the rabbinical teachers at the time for their corrupt hearts which led to misguided teaching. And as a teacher Himself, Jesus showed a better way to teach disciples.
The Gospels show the righteous, sacrificial, and loving way that Jesus chose and led His twelve disciples to build the kingdom. Contrary to the elitism of the Pharisees and scribes of the time, Jesus chose a diverse group of men (some would say a motley crue) consisting of fisherman, a tax collector and a political zealot. And Jesus’ curriculum was not just academic, it included hands-on experience of serving and praying for God’s people. Throughout the three years of His public ministry, the Lord Jesus was ultimately preparing His disciples to continue the work of building the kingdom and to form disciples themselves after He died and resurrected.
Education matters because it shapes, guides and influences us profoundly and will influence others. A Christian does not need to attend a historic school like the College of William and Mary to follow Him. Rather, the Lord Jesus affirms the ongoing education of studying and applying His Word, abiding in the Holy Spirit and committing to be discipled and to disciple within a context of a local church.
There is a great promise for Christian disciples, aka pupils, stated plainly by the Lord Jesus: “The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher” (Luke 6:40).
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Footnotes:
- https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/today/february-8.html
- https://www.wm.edu/about/wmdifference/incrediblealumni/
- https://www.harvard.edu
- https://www.wm.edu/about/wmdifference/incrediblealumni/
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Daily-Show
- https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2004/jon-stewarts-84-commencement-address.php