Hands On! (part 2)

After writing a post of the necessity for a "hands on" approach to Christianity, I decided it would be important to develop the concept a little further.  While "hands on" training is important for honing skills in a trade, the work done in the classroom is not necessarily what you will face in the field.  In fact, it is safe to assume the work done in a classroom will always be different than the field!  The concepts could be applied, but the differences are many.  The level of fitness required to be a mechanical insulator (potentially climbing up and down a 10 foot ladder hundreds of times in a day, for instance) is not addressed in the confines of a classroom.  In a classroom, the material needed for the job is on hand.  Specialised tools are easily accessible to fabricate metal.  Pipes and vessels in class are not energised, unlike in the field when repairs need to be made on "live" steam pipes.  In class therefore, no care is required to avoid burns.  Insulation in the class setting is applied to pipes without any interference of any kind at eye level.  These conditions are shockingly different from the field, where there could be shortages of the correct-sized material and necessity demands you to "make it work."  Material may need to be carried long distances, and hoisted or lowered with a rope.  Ships are notorious for having all manner of interference:  pipes, electrical, and equipment not associated with insulation work have to be carefully avoided and kept clean.  While classwork is valuable for developing hands, eyes, and skills, there is undoubtedly a large divide from practice in school and actual insulation in the field.

This is very true in the spiritual arena.  It became evident to me when I entered university that in church I had learned answers to questions nobody was asking!  Growing up in church, certain things were a given:  God exists, the Bible is the Word of God without error, and truth is absolute, just to name a few.  We did not spend much time discussing the reality of these facts, because apparently they were self-evident.  But in university, everything was debatable.  Everything was questioned.  It was a good thing for me, because I was forced to carefully examine the things I believed.  That experience helped me to understand the necessity of approaching the Bible and Christianity from a view of unbelief - though I believe myself.  We need to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in us in a manner unbelievers can relate to.  The Holy Spirit will give us wisdom and discernment to speak the truth in love and demonstrate through love unfeigned the truth of the Gospel.  How much Christians would learn if we could organise a time to meet with people who hate Christians or deny the existence of God and ask them some simple questions for the purpose of understanding their perspective!  I'll bet their reasons for believing what they believe will surprise you.

When I was in trade school with Local 5 in Los Angeles, we insulated the same pipes with the same insulation in the same arrangement all the time.  It was not long before the work became a routine.  Some sneaky apprentices saved their layouts as patterns - only to have the sizes changed for the final!  The students who did this struggled with time and didn't learn the concepts behind laying out a circular pipe on a flat surface.  Without a proper grasp of the basic fundamentals, I doubt the techniques learned in class were ever applied outside the classroom.  The same thing can happen in church.  We are around "church" people so often that we forget there are so many different issues and struggles people have.  We cannot simply apply a "pattern" to approach people with the Gospel.  Using an insulation pattern in the field with all sorts of interference would be a waste of time.  The pattern we must follow is that of Christ who always did the will of the Father.  It is so important that all we do is steeped in Christ's love as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

There were plenty of guys I trained with who had skills at layout and insulating in class, but their knowledge did not immediately correlate to ability in the field.  Some lacked speed and fitness required to put in a full day of work in sweltering conditions.  Others were confronted with their fear of heights.  In the church many have skill within the church context, but struggle with the idea of speaking to an atheist or someone of another faith.  But no matter where we find ourselves in our Christian walk, the imperative is to take the concepts and truths we learn in the church and apply them in our lives wherever we are.  We are to continue growing in grace and knowledge, seeking to walk in love always.  God desires His people walk skillfully through life.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.  As we are led by Christ, may we grow to maturity and bring much glory to His name.