I must begin by saying I have not used this particular meditation with students. It has been a few years since I was in a traditional academic setting and just came up with it this morning:)
That being said, I have done scriptural meditation with the youngest child all the way up through high school. I am always amazed at their willingness to think deeply and honestly when they approach scripture in this way.
Recent news reports about academic cheating at the highest levels of our ivory towers and the dangers of AI to education have made me think about this issue of late. If you try it out with your students, let me know how it goes!
Read together Matthew 25: 1-13
It should be explained that what you are doing is prayer. That God speaks to us through scripture, and we can learn to hear him if we listen.
I find it helpful to have older students read together and out loud.
After reading, you may ask: What did you hear? Sometimes with younger students, it helps to ask questions that allows them to retell the story.
Wonder questions:
Wonder questions are not answered by the teacher. The students' answers should always guide the conversation. As I wrote these questions, I was thinking of middle and high school age students. I have anticipated answers here, but you may end up in a completely different direction.
Clearly Jesus would not be instructing us not to share. So, this oil must be something “you must go and get on your own.”
What might this oil represent in our lives? What do we have that we can’t simply hand off to another?
Examples might include (experience, relationship, talent, sacrament, knowledge)
What do these things have in common?
Examples might include
(Time, effort, personal gift)
If you could tell the foolish bridesmaids anything before the story begins that might convince them to get their own oil, what might you say?
(You are going to need this, this is important…)
If they heard this advice and still chose to go unprepared, why might this be, why wouldn’t they listen you?
(Don’t believe you, don’t care…)
Let’s say they do actually believe you, but still show up without oil? Why might this be?
(Too busy, more important things…)
I want to think about this dilemma with regard to academic cheating.
Why do you think this is so common in our current culture: from first grade-phd, many many people have no problem taking someone else’s work as their own? Even quite moral people in most regards, people who would never rob a bank, plagiarize or cheat on a test or homework? Why?
(Answers might include: good grades are more important than knowledge, assignments are stupid, too busy, more important things…)
Think about when you have cheated. Which reason is usually the most common for you?
(This may be done silently)
Let’s look more deeply at these reasons:
It’s a stupid, worthless assignment:
What if your wrong, what is the consequence?
What if your right and it is stupid. You cheat and get the grade. Are there any consequences?
(Answers might include it is unfair or hurts those who studied or did the work)
More important things to do:
When it is actually true and what you are doing is objectively more important, What might these things be?
When this happens, what are our choices:
Go unprepared, cheat. Is there a third option?
But often it isn't objectively more important just that we want to do it more? Like what?
Too Busy:
If we are too busy to do our work, is there anything we can do?
(Answers will vary, time management ideas)
If we work on trying to manage our time rather than cheat, do we benefit more or less in the long run? Why?
Let’s think back to the parable: who is the bridegroom what is the feast?
(Answers will probably be Jesus is the Bridegroom, Heaven is the feast)
When we think about this destination, heaven, could NOT cheating, even when it’s a dumb assignment or our obligations are real, be this oil? We might call it honesty. How is honesty something that is ours that we really can't share?
Can honesty benefit us more in the long run in our academic career than cheating in the short term? How?
(Answers may include becoming more honest in other areas, becoming a better student...)
How can we orient ourselves to living this, striving to achieve this goal of academic honesty in a culture of cheating?
Let's think about those who were prepared. How do you think the prepared bridesmaids felt being asked?
(Angry, bad for not being able to help, glad they were prepared...)
How many have you have been the wise virgin before: Asked to give your work to someone else? Let’s face it, this is HARD! Everyone is so used to the cheating culture you feel mean or stupid for not wanting to share your work. But maybe you don’t even mind.
(Allow to share experiences if they wish)
Let’s examine this in light of true friendship.
If you love your friend, you want what is best for them. So,
Why isn’t it ok to ask? Why isn't it ok to allow?
This probably sounds wrong to some of you. Many of us believe friendship would require us to share our work, right? Can you try and convince me* why this is true?
(It is better to get two kids with differing views into discussion.)
or another way to get at the same discussion:
Pretend like you are me. You see academic honesty in large and small things as this oil we cannot share, that is ours, that is important. That sharing hurts us and the unprepared. That asking hurts us and the prepared.
Not simply the knowledge it is intended to teach, but something far more valuable.
What might you say to convince me it is true?
Grades are a major factor in your life, I get it. You need them for the next step. You need them for success. They are an important reflection of our knowledge and work when they are ours. But their importance to the point of needing to cheat is overblown. This is done by our culture. We put such a heavy emphasis on grades its sometimes easy to forget they are not the ultimate goal, even of education. Integrity is far more important, whether we believe it or not. Maybe you are in the middle, maybe you think, sure I cheat now and again, but I’d never cheat when it is really important. Maybe it’s true.
But what if the bridegroom comes before college or before a job, before the big test or whatever you mean by really important.
What will your flame look like then? Will it have enough of the oil you can't get from someone else?
Let's read the parable again. As we read, I want you to listen for what God is saying to you, what God is asking of you?
Reread the parable together and out loud. Go around the room and let each person share what God is asking of them. You should also answer this question. The sharing is not a time for discussion of any kind, just sharing. If your students are not comfortable having this kind of personal discussion with each other, you may ask them to write down what they think God is asking instead. Collect these and read them. You may be floored at how deep they have gone!
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