Thought for the day from Rev Dr Houston McKelvey: School days teach us the fundamentals of life

It was a Facebook post from my own school RBAI (Inst) which stopped me to ponder.

I thought back to the wee lad from the three-teacher country school who made his way through the same front porch into a community of around 1,200 other lads, some of whom were playing or about to play rugby for Ulster and Ireland.

I look back with regard to three teachers in particular.

‘Wee Joe’ was head of English. He jovially took us through the extensive set reading for the Northern Ireland ‘A’ level English literature requirements almost page by page.

John was the head of history and seven of us were more than prepared for the change to university-style learning by his use of daily seminars, and a requirement to write essays daily which he would then assess in front of your mates.

Billy was my house master. I could talk to him. He listened. He sorted out a couple of matters which had me concerned. I was not surprised to learn much later that he was a well-respected elder in his Presbyterian church congregation. He lived out his faith gently.

Many of our lives are shaped by teachers. No pupil ever develops in a subject area without a teacher’s enthusiasm.

I never forget that two of the titles by which Christ is called are ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master’.

If I were allowed to have a Kingdom-wish it is that every congregation would pray regularly for the schools which serve their young people and that two or three people would form a prayer cell to uphold in their daily prayers a specific teacher or group of teachers.