DISCOVERING THE MEANING OF LIFE THROUGH VALUES EDUCATION

Discovering the Meaning of Life Through Values Education

1. Context of Value Formation 2. Who am I? 3. Self with Others- Interpersonal Relations 4. Values 5. Model: Jesus Christ, the embodiment of values

1. Context of Value Formation

1.1 Workshop: Contemporary Setting in Life 1.11.What are your favorite forms of entertainment? What makes you like them? How these entertainments affect you? 1.1.2 Who are your favorite movie idols? What makes you like them? How these idols affect you?

1.2 Context of Value Formation

1.2.1 Amusement Society
1.2.2 Technological Society 1.2.3 Information Society

1.2 Amusement Society

1.2.1 Great Icons of Post-Modernity: Cable TV, Internet, Mall. All these give multiplicity of choices. This might lead to individualism.

1.1 Amusement Society

1.1.2 Negative Effects: We have been flooded with so many amusing things to the extent that our minds have been eclipsed with entertainments. Now this creates a conspiracy of superficiality since amusement eclipsed philosophical questions.

1.2. Technological Society

1.2.1Technology eliminates trouble and contingency.

1.2.2 Negative effect: This gives us an illusion of mastery. If we are masters of everything, then we no longer need God, the Ultimate Reality.

1.3 Information Society We have been flooded with so many information to the extent that we dont have luxury of processing them. Contemporary understanding of intelligence is the ability to process information that enables the person to solve genuine problems or difficulties.
(Howard Gardner Information Processing Paradigm)

2. Who Am I?
In ordinary life, we took this question for granted, it is only during limit situations: experience of sickness, failure and death that we profoundly ask the question who am I? Workshop: Gifts of my Personhood

2.1 Gifts of My Personhood

2.1.1. Gifts of Being 2.1.2 Gifts of Doing

2.1.3 Gifts of Having

We are going to count GODS LOVE through the gifts that we received.

2.1.1. Gifts of Being

(I have special qualities of my person, both physical and internal) I list as many gifts that I have as a person. I AM ________________ ________________ ________________

2.1.2Gifts of Doing
(I can do things beautifully, I have special skills and abilities) I CAN_______________ _______________ _______________

2.1.3 Gifts of Having

I have been blessed with persons and events in my life. They have help me become the person I am today.
I HAVE (Persons) (events) _____________Why?____________ _____________ _____________ ____________ ____________

GIFTS OF MY PERSONHOOD

Gift of Being (Symbol)

Gift of Doing (symbol )

Gift of Having (Symbol)

3. Self with Others: Interpersonal Relationship

3.1 Workshop: Life map exercise Draw graphically your life-story in a map. How do you see Gods movement in your life? 3.2 Song: Yahweh I Know You are Near

4. Values
Love Truthfulness and Honesty Justice Patience Service Model: Jesus Christ, the embodiment of values

4.1 Definition
Values refers to our shared idea on what is good, desirable and important. (sociology) Value is something that demands to be realized. (Gabriel Marcel)

4.2 How do one acquires values?

Objective knowledge- a knowledge which can be explained in clear concepts. Instruction-teaching the right thing through words and actions. Tacit Knowledge- a knowledge learned by participation Upbringing-refers to the thousand daily gestures, the early training that one encounters in ordinary life while growing up.

4. 3. Values
4.3.1 Love 4.3.2. Truthfulness and honesty 4.3.3 Justice 4.3.4 Patience 4.3.5 Service

4.3.1 Love
To love is a personal decision. It involves the ability to risk. Excursus: the dynamics of saying YES or NO: NO- implies no responsibility, it is definite. Ones responsibility will end by the very act of saying NO. YES- implies responsibility. Thus, ones decisions and actions must honor and affirm this first YES!

4.3.1 Love
Love is self-giving. Love is wholly concerned for the beloved. Sacrifice is the language of love. The pain lies in abandoning my egoism and self-centeredness. Reciprocity of Love What is the relationship between love of the other and love of myself? Its not a loss of self. On the contrary, in loving the other I need to love myself, in loving the other I come to fulfill and love myself. Motive of Love is the You for whom I care! I love you because you are beautiful and lovable, and you are beautiful and lovable because you are you.

4.3.1 Love
The risk of loving is rejection. It tests the authenticity of love. If the rejection is final, then it is painful but the experience can provide an opportunity for self- emptying and examination which will be an opportunity for self-development. In this sense, unreciprocated love is still an enriching experience.

Creativity of Love
When love is reciprocated, love becomes fruitful and creative. Such a feeling coming over me. There is wonder in everything I see Everything I want the world to be Is now coming true especially for me And the reason is clear Its because you are here Im on the top of the world looking Down on creation and the only explanation I can find Is the love thats found ever since youve been around You almost put me at the top of the world

 Union of Love: WE become more of ourselves by loving! The Gift of Self: My self-offering in love can only be authentic if what I offer is valuable to myself. If I despise myself and give myself to the other, my giving is a throwing away of myself. Im throwing a garbage and the other simply feels like a garbage can!

Love is Total, Eternal and Sacred

Love is total undivided commitment to the other Love is eternal: I shall commit myself to you in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer till death do us part! To say I love you means you shall not die! (Gabriel Marcel)

 Love is sacred. If love is the gift of self to another person, then their relationship is sacred. When confidence is betrayed something fine and beautiful dies. LOVE IS TO BE EXPERIENCED THAN TALKED ABOUT

4.3.2 Truthfulness and Honesty Truthfulness deals with words. Honesty deals with actions. If out of 1000 workers only 1 is honest, then that person must be a UBian.

 4.3.3 Justice is giving what is due to the other 4.3.4 Patience is not a matter of time. It is the quality of the heart to accept to accept the fundamental realities that God is in charge of everything and that delay is necessary to make things more mature.

4.3.4 Service
Others first. One must be sensitive to identify the needs of others in order to serve them better.

5. The Model: Jesus Christ

We are now invited to pay attention to the WHO of values: our model, Jesus Christ. There will be two parts of our reflection. First, we will reflect on what the mind of the model should not be. Secondly, we will meditate on the mind of our model.

5.1 What the Mind of the Model Should No Be?

The teacher complex The crusading mind

5.1.1 The teacher complex

This refers to the superiority complex that wants to teach, but does not want to learn; that is interested in teaching, but not in being taught; that speaks to fellow workers and students but does not listen to them. It is a mind set of wealth: I am a fresh graduate! I learn a lot, therefore I am rich with the truth, which I give you like I give alms to a beggar. It is a one way traffic mind, since all that has meaning and value comes from the teacher.

5.1.2 The crusading mind

The crusading mind is a related mindset. It is a mindset of competition and force that sees the person, as the sole force of truth and righteousness against all the evil, ignorance and superstition out there in the work place.

5.3. The SERVANT MIND of Jesus Christ. Jesus Washes His Disciples Feet John 13:4-5; 14-15. Jesus got up from table, remove his garment and taking a towel, wrap it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and begun to wash the disciples feet and wipe them with the towel he was wearing. If I then your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one anothers feet. I have given you an example that as I have done, you also may do.

The SERVANT MIND of Jesus Christ

The servant mind awakens servanthood in the ones served.
Good works are always contagious.

A servant mind involves and is permeated by a spirit of welcome and respect for the people serve

 its willingness and it inner compulsion, to go in search where there is dirt ugliness and negativity-to wash, to clean, and refresh, even when it means being stained by the dirt in the process.

A servants mind dreams for the Kingdom of God.

A dreamer must have a vision whose horizon is bigger than life.