Feeding Your Child's Soul on Truth, Beauty, & Goodness
You've heard the phrase "you are what you eat," right?
And as a parent, I'm sure that you've given ample thought to what your child takes into their body. Even if you're not all into the latest health food craze, even if you aren't an always-all-organic shopper, you take care that your family is well fed in a way that nourishes your bodies.
You also take care of what your child is ingesting into their heart and mind. The books they read, the music they listen to, the videos they watch. Proverbs tells us to "watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23) In other words, you are what your heart eats.
What we feed our souls is just as important as what we feed our bodies (arguably even more so). Our daily choices of where we focus our energy, what habits we will entertain, what thoughts on which we fix our minds - it is on these things that our souls sip and graze all day long.
Your child's school fills a big part of their soul's diet. During the school year, it's an even greater portion than what their home life, hobbies, or church provides. What do you want them to dine on while they're at school? What do YOU want to feed them when they're with you?
The Transcendentals
In classical Christian education circles, you will hear three words - almost always together - mentioned frequently: truth, beauty, and goodness.
In fact, they live in the Vision Statement of Veritas Academy, in which we articulate our desire "to be a community connecting students with truth, beauty, and goodness for Christ’s calling."
In Episode 2 of our new Cultivate podcast, Veritas Head of School Ty Fischer remarks that "if classical Christian education is going to make a t-shirt or a bumper sticker, it would say something like 'feeding the souls of students on truth, beauty and goodness.'"
That sounds like a delicious and nutritious feast for the soul, now doesn't it?
Truth, beauty, and goodness are known as "transcendentals;" that is, they transcend - go above and beyond - time and space and the individual's sensory experience. Something that is transcendental is timeless and universal, and - ultimately - established by God in Christ, from whom and for whom are all things.
Veritas Dean of Students Graham Dennis says in the podcast:
God is truth. God is goodness. God is beauty. And we can only be those things by participating through grace in those qualities that God possesses perfectly.
A Feast That is Not Of This World
Mainstream schools these days aren't providing this kind of food for today's generation of children. And it's showing in some pretty concerning ways. The postmodern world attempts to twist truth, beauty, and goodness in ways that can make for some dangerous concoctions.
We've encountered numerous parents in recent years coming through our doors because they're frustrated with the worldview that is fed to their children at school.
When your kids are dining on a steady diet of real truth, beauty, and goodness centered in Christ, they are prepared to live joyful, fruitful lives. We want to be the type of place that frees students to live out Paul's exhortation in Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
In this way, a classical Christian education that nourishes your child's soul with truth, beauty, and goodness can prepare them for life beyond school. As Graham says in the podcast, "we're not terrified of the world and were not terrified of its contents. We're capable of engaging the world because we have a foundation upon which to rest."
Want to hear about how your family and your school can work together to nourish your child's soul with truth, beauty, and goodness? Ty and Graham will unpack each of these wonderful concepts, show you glimpses of how Veritas pours truth, beauty, and goodness into students during their school day, and help you consider how your family can partake in this feast in your daily lives.
Listen and subscribe to our Cultivate podcast with the links below!
Cultivate Listening Links:
Hot Button Topics for High School Students: The Strawbridge Discussion Series