Every time I teach a group not only do I learn from those I seek to teach, but also what I teach seemed to gain new depth in my own life. If what we learn does not change the way we live, of what value then is our learning? Unless what I know changes the way I live my knowledge is useless. I read somewhere, “to teach is to learn twice,” how true this statement is for me. Whether we are disciples or teachers, we most keep in mind that we are not containers where others pour out their knowledge, but fellows’ travelers whom we encourage to discover their own wisdom and strength and to impart on them something of relevance and effect in their own lives. Our learning is the mean by which we are transformed. The purpose of the teacher is not to create students in their own image, but to encourage them to discover who they have been created to be (Genesis 1:26). The purpose of the disciple is not to imitate or attach himself to the teacher, but to use what he has been given to help not only himself, but others.
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