Two Quick Scenes. A friend told me a story. Less than a month ago he went for a haircut in a small town in the United States. While in the barber shop, a mother came in with a school-aged child. The child was playing a computer game. He never looked up when he entered. When he was called to the barber’s chair, he climbed in but never looked up; he kept playing the game. There was chit chat, instructions and greetings like there normally are at the beginning of cutting hair for someone. The child never looked up. His hair was cut and he got down, leaving shortly behind his mother. He never looked up. He never quit playing the game. In Uganda about a year ago I had several opportunities to watch the street activities going in and out of Kampala during evening hours (well after sunset). I would pass many stalls selling electronics. On a number of occasions I would see a group of small school-aged children in front of those stalls. No parents were in sight. The children were glued to the screens. With all the commotion and activity on the street, they did not move their eyes from the screens.
What is happening? The scenes, unfortunately, are becoming more common. Is it the children? Children soak up things like sponges. A sponge soaks up whatever liquid comes in contact with it: whether it is poisonous or harmless. Children are similar. Without guidance that is demonstrated by word and deed, they will soak up whatever is easiest and most pleasurable to one or more of their senses. The result of a lack of guidance and example is nearly the same as a bad example–where the parents are presenting the wrong behavior for their children. The latter is also too common. Time involved in media by parents is embarrassingly much greater than time observing or interacting with children in a direct manner. Love demands direct observing and interaction. Teaching a child (or an adult, for that matter) to observe and communicate takes time, and it starts very early in a child’s life if the parent or mentor or teacher is doing what is necessary. Let’s use the observations made in the sketch below as a learning tool and example:
If you have spent anytime on this web site, you know we teach children to observe the heavens. More specifically, we teach teachers how to observe so they may teach children the same thing. Fundamentally, we are teaching methods of observation, or the ability to directly observe the world around us, because God uses what we observe to make us aware of basic questions: how can this be (the world we see)? Who are we in this world? Who is God?
We are finding, however, whether children are in the United States or developing nations, the practice of observing anything natural is being supplanted by media, and often the wrong kinds of media. We are not against media and use it, but it is often a poor and dehumanizing substitute for teaching children how to observe and interact with the natural world around them. Left to their own appetites, observing skills that children learn are usually unhealthy and incomplete if the parents do not practice observing and interacting with people themselves, then teach the same thing to their children.
Is it easy to teach healthy observing? Consider the sketch (above). There are 4 scenes depicted. In terms of chronology, they start on the right and end on the left. The whole sketch took 3 hours, BUT THE OBSERVATION OF WHAT WAS SKETCHED TOOK ONLY A FEW MINUTES!! I could have had 20 children with me and explained each of the scenes when it occurred, caused them to see something new, interacted with the children during the time, and the time involved would have been on the order of a few minutes per scene. They would have learned a little about changes in sky at sunset, bats, the planet Venus, the changing views of moon, and a star. Of course, I would have told them about the wonder of it all: created and sustained by God so we could discover it. The age, background, and culture of people does not matter, we are created to observe, interpret, and talk to each other about our observations, and nothing beats the effects when it is face to face–especially when it involves children. We can find time to be on a computer-based social network and excessive time on the phone; we can find computer games and other media to engage the children; why is there not enough time to teach children to observe and interact with them directly?
If you want children to grow sensitive to people and their surrounding natural world, they must see you doing it because they learn by example. Most children are excited to discover things at a young age, which is just the time to interact with them as they learn to observe God’s creation. He also meant for us to observe each other. If a child has learned to observe natural things with you, he will be able to use some of the same abilities to observe and interact with people. On the other hand, if we let children observe and do what they want — like little sponges that cannot tell the difference between something harmful and something healthy — then we risk losing something precious.
Scripture reference 1: There is a critical context of God’s response to Job in Job 38-41, where God has presumed that Job has observed the world around him. Then when God used things of the earth and heaven to illustrate points, Job understands. God uses examples from what he has made to illustrate things about himself but also Job’s error. God’s methods have not changed: he expects us to directly observe the world around us to help our understanding of who He is.
Scripture reference 2: Romans 2:18-22 explains the perils and results of ignoring or being insensitive to what God has made, which results in an insensitivity to God but also an insensitivity among people. Then, left to our own desires, we quickly morally deteriorate.
The Lesson: Teach your children to directly observe the world around them. Use it to point them to God. You be an observer–not lost in receiving media that is either unproductive or unhealthy. Your children will see your example, and it will validate what you teach them.
Technical sketch details:
–Venus in the Locust: Venus is low in the sky after sunset at this juncture (summer/fall 2010) but is very bright (brighter than any star). So it shines and gleams through a tree even though the light of the setting sun is still apparent. Observing time needed to see the scene: seconds
–Bats around the sun: bats become very active around sunset because insects are active. There were two or three dancing in the sky in front the moon for 20 minutes. Observing time needed to see the scene: seconds
–Clouds over the moon: some of the most beautiful moon sights are not good for telescopes but are excellent for eyes alone or binocular. In this case, the moon was very low and being ‘overrun’ by a low layer of cumulo-stratus clouds and haze. The conditions turn the moon orange yellow. Observing time to see the scene: seconds
–Antares and the setting Moon: Close approaches (or occultations) between bright stars and the moon are always interesting. Antares was close to the horizon for this observation and just a few degrees from the moon. The moon light was enough to show the boundary of trees. The underside of nearby clouds was lighted by the moon light. Observing time to see the scene: seconds
What is the total time necessary to interact with children for these scenes? Just a few minutes or less than the length of one cartoon or one quick video game; less than a tenth of the length of an average movie or TV show.
When should a parent or authority figure start teaching observing? When the child can see and follow your direction when you point to something.
