In a weekly church column, Chris Gill, Pastor at King’s Church, Gillingham , looks at how a good teacher can change your life.

It was great to hear that children all over the country had gone back to school.

Our church building is next to a primary school in Gillingham and the sound of children playing outside during the break times was a sound that had been sadly absent during the proceeding months.

Thinking back 50 years, I have nothing but fond memories of my primary school days. One teacher, as is often the case, made a particular good impression on my young mind. His name was Mr Davis and I liked the way he cared for the class.

I remember that there was a boy who struggled with terrible handwriting. His work was never displayed on the wall. Most of his writing was with a pencil because whenever an ink pen got involved, the finished page looked like a spider with extremely dirty feet had run to and frow across the page!

There was however one subject at which he excelled, namely art and drawing. He was a great at it and Mr Davis noticed.

One day during the lunch break I returned to the classroom to see Mr Davis with a pen and pot of black ink teaching his now attentive student to write an alphabet in a way I hadn’t seen before, in italics. As he did so, I remember seeing each letter literally become a small work of art in front of my eyes. The transformation was immediate, and from that day his handwritten pages became things of beauty, things always displayed and greatly admired by many in the class.

Being taught that lesson by that caring teacher, transformed that boy's life forever.

It is sometimes easy to forget that Jesus was also a wonderful teacher. He didn’t teach in a school, his classroom was a mountain top – as in the Sermon on the Mount – and a fishing boat on the sea of Galilee. He taught lessons that changed people’s lives forever.

However, as with the boy and Mr Davis, we also have to be willing to learn from the teacher and put into practice everything He asks of us.

King David wrote in one of his psalms:

"Show me your ways O Lord;

Teach me your paths.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are God of my salvation;

On you I wait all the day."

King David’s heart was that of a person eager to be taught and there is no better teacher than Jesus Christ if we are willing to listen and learn.

If you would like to find out more about Churches Together in Medway or what it means to become a Christian, please contact chairman Pastor Stephen Bello on 01634 920941 or email chair@medwaychurch.co.uk

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