Yearn to Learn, Grow to Know (Chapter 2, Day 2)

If this is your first time here, go back to the first day.

Hey guys,

You all don’t remember and Dan never knew my life as a bivocational pastor and a journalist. I wasn’t world renowned by any means but I was able to interview former President Gerald Ford, Texas Governor Ann Richards, write weekly editorials for local newspapers and what not. But one of the biggest challenges was that I had to know a little bit of everything that I had to write about and be inquisitive enough to know how to ask questions about what I didn’t know.

I remember working for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and interviewing oil executives. Before fracking was a thing, our oil reserves went through primary, secondary and tertiary or enhanced oil recovery. I worked in days before the internet was popular and even before pervasive use of computers. I had to learn enough to write and interview knowledgeably so get my information the old-fashioned way…I learned it! I had to interview people and executives before I could write articles, probably similar to what TC2 is doing in the medical field.

All that to say is one of the key ingredients to a good writer and journalist is to be inquisitive. Yearn to learn. I guess that is why I still like knowing about apologetics or reasons to believe in God. I like asking people questions. At your age, seek out not just godly people but knowledgeable people. One of my mentors in college called the apostle John the consummate brain-picker. He must have sat like a fly on the wall when Nicodemus (Nick at Night) came and talked with Christ. John asked questions, learned, and retained knowledge. 

That’s why I think I really like the first half of Batterson’s book. He gives a lot of interesting history of different people. Steve Farrar’s books are like that, chocked full of fascinating tidbits of information.  The Apostle Paul was a learned man and knew his audience enough to quote their poets. So is it a “manly virtue” to have a child-like wonder? I think so. I don’t know if I would have put this virtue in the “top seven” as MB does, but it is, ahem, thought-provoking.

And I hope you instill and nurture that in your children. I hope Mom and I did that for you two. I know Dan’s parents “showed him the world” literally. So plan vacations and adventures and read to your children and show them things new. And keep growing in your knowing.

Love,

Dad/Pops