In Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey, Homer begins the story with the command, “Tell me about a complicated man, Muse,” and continues, with what could also be a command for educators: “Tell the old story for our modern times.” Like Odysseus, educators are both on an individual journey and part of a greater story. By acknowledging our own complexity, and observing that of our students, we are reminded that there is always so much to learn about life and about humanity. The temptation to oversimplify our aims, seeking merely to educate good citizens, good workers, good consumers, good Christians, or good university students is understandable. Most of these are important, but reducing education to this ultimately falls short of the mark. Just as our seeking to learn as Christian disciples can never be static if we are to become more faithful, so too must we as educators, perhaps more than anyone, seek our own lifetime education. Old stories always need retelling for our modern times.

A Bruderhof teacher applies lessons from her mentors and Homer in her classroom and beyond.