I have a number of axioms I live by. One of them is “You don’t know what you don’t know.” I’m not sure who I picked it up from, but I know I adopted it somewhere early in my seminary career.
I honestly went into seminary thinking, other than Greek and Hebrew what can seminary possibly teach me? There was no arrogance in this thought. I had been doing ministry for six years by the time I started seminary. I had read through the entire Bible a couple of times. I had taught in a variety of churches and settings on a regular basis. What could seminary possibly teach me at this point in my ministry?!
Wow, was I ever ignorant.
Every single class in my first semester challenged my theology, my assumptions, and my personal conduct. I had no clue that my understanding was as deficient as it was. I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
While seminary has given me a great foundation to work from, it has not given me all theological knowledge, but has set me in the right direction for discovering timeless truths.
So, as I continue to pastor, to write, to preach, to teach and to build relationships I often find myself saying to others “you don’t know what you don’t know.” This axiom keeps me humble. It also keeps me asking questions instead of always pretending to have the answers.
(And because "you don't know what you don't know" . . . do you know how good the latest episode of the Untold Podcast is? If not, go check out this month's story "Send In" here.)
I honestly went into seminary thinking, other than Greek and Hebrew what can seminary possibly teach me? There was no arrogance in this thought. I had been doing ministry for six years by the time I started seminary. I had read through the entire Bible a couple of times. I had taught in a variety of churches and settings on a regular basis. What could seminary possibly teach me at this point in my ministry?!
Wow, was I ever ignorant.
Every single class in my first semester challenged my theology, my assumptions, and my personal conduct. I had no clue that my understanding was as deficient as it was. I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
While seminary has given me a great foundation to work from, it has not given me all theological knowledge, but has set me in the right direction for discovering timeless truths.
So, as I continue to pastor, to write, to preach, to teach and to build relationships I often find myself saying to others “you don’t know what you don’t know.” This axiom keeps me humble. It also keeps me asking questions instead of always pretending to have the answers.
(And because "you don't know what you don't know" . . . do you know how good the latest episode of the Untold Podcast is? If not, go check out this month's story "Send In" here.)
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