One of my favorite quotes is a Greek proverb that reads, “Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Imagine what our society would look like if more people invested their time, treasure, and talent into the future?
For most parents, this act comes naturally. We toil and sweat to provide for our children and instruct them in God's word so they grow into healthy adults. This has been the blueprint for centuries, at least until modern times.
While reading, When a Child loves to Learn by Elaine Cooper, she points out why Charlotte Mason's PNEU schools disappeared and were almost unknown to many of us until now. Ms. Mason's educational philosophy was one rooted in a reality that saw the world through a Christian lens. A reality-based in biblical or objective truth is no longer embraced by the progressive world of moral relativism. It is crazy to think that this modern sense of reality has changed so rapidly over the course of only a few generations. Cooper goes on to write that this lack of morality devalues the innate worth of each person. She states, "There is no meaning to life in general or in a particular life. It has become permissible to discard unwanted or blemished infants. The only way to see children's education with these views is that they are to be prepared to be cogs in the smoothly running wheels of society. Children's thoughts, ideas, and creativity may well hinder the operation of the machine unless someone controls it all. The choices the planners make are a kind of random selection. There is no ultimate meaning, no right, and wrong, no better or worse apart from function." Earlier in the chapter, she talks about the present utilitarian aim of education. Learning focuses on how much an individual will earn or what status they will achieve completely neglecting how much they care or who they can serve.
Children are our greatest investment. As we watch the rapid decline of our U.S. dollar, it would serve us well if we all poured our resources into our kids and our community. This thought came to me as I considered investing in land or precious metals to secure our household assets. Why don't more people invest in the future of our youth? I suppose the return isn't as profitable as it would be on a material investment, but the return on a hopeful child with an incredible idea or invention could benefit the future ten-fold.