At Taekwondo last night, in the small class the higher ranking students outnumbered the lower ranks.
By lower ranks I mean me, a white belt yellow stripe, and an new student who was a new white belt.
The head instructor took the ten or so higher ranks to one side of the room, then he asked me to teach the new white belt his forms and kicks. I spent the next 20 minutes teaching rather than learning.
Or did I? I'll touch on that later.
At first glance someone may ask, "wait, don't you pay to go to class? Why would you be teaching? That's not right..."
I'll admit, the thought did cross my mind for a brief moment.
But in a traditional martial arts school we are taught that everyone helps one another. It is a natural part of learning. The classroom is a small community. Each member is important, and each member contributes.
It is the same with the body of Christ.
"The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." 1 Cor 12:21-26 (NIV)
We are far too used to thinking of ourselves as individuals, but the Biblical view of the body of Christ is very different.
Do we see ourselves that way? Does the world see us that way?
And oh, by the way, since we retain 90% of what we teach someone else, those 20 minutes did more to reinforce the basics than a few classes combined of "just" being a student. Teaching is a powerful tool for learning.
Perhaps a subject for another posting!
