Reflection for September 16

The heart of the evangelical enterprise is the Christian gospel lived, an enthusiasm for learning. The babble of Pentecost is more than noise; it’s a boiling over of questions and shared stories giving rise to our knowledge of God in Christ Jesus.

Good teachers encourage in us an enthusiasm for learning, a primary aim of education and the foundation of faith and witness. The heart and soul of life in God is more than sacramental communion; long before believers gathered for liturgy they shared conversation, the warm and enthusiastic give-and-take as individuals told their own stories, reflected on what they’d shared, asked questions about things never encountered before, excitedly offered insights only glimpsed for the first time and ventured to connect them all to daily life and experience. Joyful, vigorous conversation is a form of learning, and another expression of communion with the apostles and witnesses who live in our scriptures. The enthusiasm of learning is the engine of evangelism (Sam Portaro “Learning Practice," credoveni.wordpress.com).