“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another …” –Colossians 3:16
Think back to the best teachers you have had. What qualities did they possess that made them so effective? Maybe they were compassionate and deeply interested in your well-being. They likely set a high standard and believed that you could attain the goals that were set. Maybe they were creative, enthusiastic and fun, or possibly they were quiet and thoughtful. Whatever personality traits they had, they made a difference.
One absolute essential is that teachers must have knowledge; they must have something to teach. Teachers need to have expertise and familiarity with the material. A great teacher can share information that is already known, providing nuances and insights that the students might not have considered before. Even a required training can become fun and interesting with a talented instructor.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he named a foundational element that all teachers should exhibit. “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another …” Elsewhere in the New Testament, we learn from Jesus’ own words that the gospel boils down to this: love God and love others as yourself. So Paul is encouraging us to teach with a spirit of love.
No matter what our role is at Loma Linda University Health, we all teach. There are times we need to instruct each other, to share thoughts and ideas that may be new to a colleague. We will also need to hear others’ ideas and be open to their point of view. But the main focus of this scriptural passage is not what it taught, but the spirit in which it is shared. We will have many opportunities to teach others.
Let’s do it in a spirit of love.
Kathy McMillan, MA
Director, employee spiritual care
Loma Linda University Medical Center