To Infinity and Turn Left
(Exploring God’s Purpose for Christian Teachers)
by Graham Coyle, 2020
I love this book! Graham gives away generously his wealth of over thirty years of teaching experience – not just as anecdotes, but always artfully tying them in with biblical principles which will strengthen the vision and faith of a Christian teacher. It’s about building a cathedral rather than hewing blocks of stone. And it’s infused with that unmistakable Coyle sense of humor which turns suspenseful reading into that „love it!“ reading.
“What if education worked in such a way that it prepared young people to live knowing what they knew could make a difference to others? What if places of education, at any level, were filled with teachers of such joy, ability, wisdom and courage that they set out to train worldchangers knowing they were born to do just that?” – the vision is set in the first chapter.
Graham was a Physical Education (Sports, for those outside of UK!) teacher. “My chief goal was to see my pupils grow in confidence in the activities and enjoyment at whatever level was right for them as individuals. … If I, as a child of God, enjoyed physical activity, it seemed reasonable that others could do the same if I led them wisely and sensitively.”
“Why exactly are your pupils there?” is the title of a chapter. “I have often asked this question whilst teaching but never aloud of course. … If I was feeling particularly confident when asking myself this, I might answer by saying these pupils are here because I am a good teacher. I have skills, experience, qualifications and a reputation for being able to teach reasonably well. … This might sound a bit egocentric to you, but I truly believe that we need to have a positive assessment of ourselves and our abilities. Not an over-estimation, just a realistic and healthy one.”
Each chapter is followed by a challenge “To think about:” For example: “What type of influence has God given you as a teacher?”
“What I see in Jesus, he was able to bring the perspective of Heaven into the equation. He had dreams and desires for His disciples. ‘Here you are, Peter, James, John etc. Here is an impossible situation (like feeding 5000 people on a mountain). What are you going to do about it?’ … We can have the same desires for our pupils, but to do it we have to be dreamers and we have to be visionaries ourselves. … Hang on, I hear you say, there are at least two problems you are not dealing with Graham. Firstly Jesus’ disciples chose to follow him and secondly how can you talk about leading pupils into God’s desires for their lives if they have no relationship to God? – Great questions, glad you asked them.” – Graham does give answers, but I’ll let you find out.
As you can tell, the book’s main theme is How to make God part of the equation in teaching. This can happen in very ordinary, inconspicuous ways, simply be the way God shapes you as you relate to students and parents and colleagues, and sometimes it happens in quite stunning ways, such as in the story of the ski camp far away in the alps, when three kids get injured – and each one is miraculously healed by prayer. One of them later became a pastor and successful business owner, the second a church planter, and the third an evangelist. “We should never disqualify ourselves, the gifts we have, or God’s ability to use us in the situations where He has so lovingly placed us”, Coyle concludes.
It takes courage and wisdom in a secularized environment, to make God part of the equation. “As a Christian teacher you will face tough decisions, be presented with difficult moral situations and come under considerable pressure to leave aside your desire to honour the Lord and go the way everyone else is heading. There will rarely be ready-made answers. You will need wisdom and determination to work through them and to fulfil your responsibilities with integrity and peace. The source of your strength and insight will come from the depth of your intimacy with the Lord.”