Hope in Troubled Times

          What is an ideology? How does an ideology work? Why are ideologies important? These are three important questions when attempting to understand the book Hope in Troubled Times by Bob Goudzwaard, Mark Vander Vennen, and David Van Heemst. An ideology is a positive idea that is founded to help restore something bad, almost like a solution, but then is perverted. This perversion is ultimately the idea that ideologies are originated to fill a space, but it ends up filling our need for God in society; therefore, causing more problems than before. Ideologies are usually founded in troubling times, to try and fix something that seems broken and in need of our assistance. This book focuses on all the different aspects of society such as technology, time, and money that are becoming idolized. It emphasizes all these negative things and gives us no sense of hope until the 9^th chapter where we learn about three different approaches to finding hope in today’s world.  Finally, we are troubled sinners who need to acknowledge we are imperfect, but keep striving for something more: God.

            When I was in high school, I struggled a lot with grades in certain classes, along with some other friends. We noticed that each one of us understood different parts of classes and that if we got together to do homework and study, we began to succeed. Each other’s strengths were filling the other’s weaknesses. Unfortunately, this safe haven to study and do homework became a place of hard feelings and hurt. It turned into a huge competition for better grades, and we began to use each other for help and then did not do the same in return. I find that this is true a lot in not only small study groups, but in school as a whole. Schools are intended to be a safe haven for students to learn, grow, and help others. I find that it is becoming a place of competition and grades. The students that are succeeding and doing well in the class seem to be pushing for better grades or a higher “A” instead of turning to the student next to them who is struggling. Obviously, this is not always the case, but school is becoming a very stressful and high competition place. I dare to say that it was not intended for this. This is an example of ideology in education. It is something that stared off as good with good intentions, but was skewed into something bad.

            “God is dreaming of a world where all people, black and white, rich and poor, clever and not so clever, are drawn into one family, a world where all of us participate as agents in God’s inexorable transfiguration of evil into good. How can we lose?” (Pg. 11) I think it is important to take a step back and find a new hopeful approach to this ideology in education and classrooms. In the 9^th chapter, we learn about three different approaches to redeeming hope to our fallen and idolized world.  First, is the approach called the “minesweeper”. They go and undo the bad and dangerous stuff going on in society. They clean out and “de-bomb” the “mine”. Second, is the “rope ladder”. This requires different technique and coordination to go forward. Each step is a dangerous one, but puts you one step closer to the top or a better world. Last, is the “periscope”. This gives us a chance to take a step back and see a wider picture and get perspective on our world or situations. From my example earlier, I think it is important to take the “periscope” approach. As teachers and students, we need to take a step back and be reminded of this perspective of the world that our authors paint for us. It is easy to get caught up in the best grades, being the best student, being the best teacher, but we need to be able to take a step back and be reminded that we are not the best. We are merely humans who sin daily and mess up; imperfect. Although we have these imperfects and tendencies to twist good ideas into bad, we need to continue to strive for good. We need to be able to step back from those tendencies and dream of that world where all people are agents in changing God’s world into good. As teachers, we need to remind not only ourselves, but our students of this dream. Only by doing this, will we be able to shine some hope into the classrooms and the competition that has been placed there.

            Everyone has a purpose. I think as teachers, we need to encourage our students to find their purpose in life. School is a place that is made for students to be able to learn and find out what they are good at. They should be able to explore many different options and be pushed to be successful in what they chose to do. What is success? Is it getting a high score on a standardized test as an overall school? Is it finishing a class with an “A”? Is it having a high ACT score? How do we define successfulness? Should we define it the same way for everyone? I think absolutely not. Not one person is the same; therefore, not one person should have their success judge the same way. One person’s failure is another person’s success. What I mean by that is some people may find that a “B” on a test is the end of the world, but to another student it could be great because they finally understood something in class. Schools should encourage students to find purpose, yet it seems to emphasize grades and test scores and judge the effectiveness of schools in this way.

            Technology, money, time, and from an educational perspective, grades are becoming like an idol to people. Technology is playing a huge role in today’s world. People are trying to use technology and science to solve world problems and depending on it so much so that it is becoming almost like an idol. Grades are playing a huge role in today’s classroom. Students are trying to use grades and test results to improve themselves and are depending on their grades so much so that it is becoming like an idol.

             Overall, there are ideologies in education and the rest of the world. People replacing what was once good for bad. Schools should be a place where minds can positively expand and learn without a competitive and negative edge. Sin has put a place for ideology in the world. We need to remember as stewards of God’s creation to take a step back, refocus our goals and vision. Then we need to aim for God and his original purpose for life and education, only then will we be in the slightest successful.