大象传媒

A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Rt Revd Mary Stallard, Assistant Bishop in Bangor.

Good morning. Many people can probably remember a teacher from their school days who made an impression - hopefully in a helpful way. I鈥檒l never forget the kind and seemingly ever-patient Mr Twilley, who taught RE putting up with the questions of boisterous and cheeky teenagers with gentle persistence. He taught us that it鈥檚 good to ask questions about God and faith, and that a religious outlook can be strengthened by engaging in a serious and respectful way with ideas and thinking that offer alternative views. I鈥檒l always be grateful to him for encouraging me to learn more about theology.

Today the church remembers the Venerable Bede, a saint and a 鈥渄octor鈥� 鈥� meaning 鈥渢eacher鈥� of the church. St Bede鈥檚 often called the greatest Anglo-Saxon scholar and one of the most influential historians of the Church. Born around 670, he was taken by his parents to the monastery at Wearmouth aged 7 to be educated. He spent his life as a monk and scholar who delighted in writing and teaching. Although he鈥檚 best known for his historical writings, he also wrote many commentaries on scripture and on subjects as diverse as the natural world, languages and mathematics. For St Bede everything in creation was saturated with beauty and meaning, and he felt a calling to help others discover this. He wrote: 鈥淚t has ever been my delight to learn, or to teach or to write.鈥� Education and learning are such precious gifts and are key to understanding our world and one another. It鈥檚 good to remember teachers and the help they give us.

God of life, we thank you for the joy of learning and for all who teach. Open our hearts to the wonder of your creation and open our minds to learn new things each day. Amen.