Journal of Adventist Education

The story goes that one day, Mahatma Gandhi was in a hurry to catch a train. As the train slowed down and he jumped onto the platform, one of his sandals slipped off and fell to the ground beside the train tracks. Without hesitation, Gandhi took off his other sandal and threw it in the direction of the one that fell. When asked about this seemingly odd action, he explained that it was better for someone to find two sandals rather than one. This simple act of kindness, this “sandal throw,” encapsulates the power of small actions to bring about significant change.¹

While Gandhi's impact was felt by global leaders, his focus was equally on those in his immediate sphere. His life’s work, though global, was also local. Each of us has a similar opportunity. As one author points out, “Our real power is not necessarily to change the world, but to make a world of change to the people we encounter every day, a smile, a kind word, finding a way to throw a sandal onto the track—that is the power we have today and every day.”² These small acts of kindness, these sandal throws, have the power to ignite hope and inspire change, no matter how small they may seem.

Yet another author, upon reflecting on this anecdotal event in Gandhi’s life, opined that throwing the sandal was more than just another charitable act, but one that demonstrated Gandhi’s awareness of two salient realities: “He knew what people in the world needed, and he knew what to let go of.”³ In other words, he embraced the dynamic interplay of need, expedience, and principle in his life and work.

As educators, our impact extends far beyond the confines of our classrooms; it reverberates globally as our students develop character and acquire knowledge. A warm smile, a kind word, and a welcoming, engaging classroom environment all work together to energize, inspire, and motivate students. But to truly understand our students, we must love them as Jesus loves us. This is not a superficial love but a love that genuinely perceives their needs, experiences, and the harsh realities of life on this planet. It is a love that recognizes and cares for the pinnacle of God’s creation—the human being. This is not a love that we generate on our own through strong will or determination. It grows out of constant communication with God through prayer, study of the Scriptures, and spending time with the Creator. Each of us must be assured and confident in the belief that we, too, are loved by God (John 3:16, Romans 5:8) and that we can be transformed by this love (John 3:17; 8:12; 10:10, 11). By understanding our students' needs, we can foster a more empathetic and connected learning environment.

As a result, our role is not only about “doing good” in the world—to improve our students' lives—it is about understanding that true education is a divine work. In True Education, we read:

“In order to understand what is comprehended in the work of education, we need to consider both the nature of human beings and the purpose of God in creating them. We need to consider also the change in their condition through a knowledge of evil, and God’s plan for fulfilling His glorious purpose in the education of the human race.”⁴

At its core, curriculum is about decisions—what to keep and what to discard. As educators, we wrestle with curricular decision-making each semester, each course, unit, lesson plan, and assignment. As Adventist educators, we seek to align and integrate core elements of our faith and belief system when making decisions about content and instructional approaches. What an assignment! Yet, we do not do this alone. God gives abundant wisdom, liberally and lavishly meted out to those who seek it (Proverbs 2:6; James 1:5-7). This includes working in collaboration with our peers, seeking additional training, pursuing professional development, embracing opportunities to participate in research, and sharing those experiences to improve our practice.

In this issue, we share a diverse collection of articles. In “The Making of Forestia,” Karen Williams takes us on a journey with her young students as they learn life lessons in the forest. Caddabra Brown explores the impact of trauma and offers tips for building literacy skills amid difficult life experiences in “Does My Real Life Matter to You? Creating a Trauma-informed Classroom.” With reflections from the COVID-19 pandemic, Santosh Kumar uncovers lessons learned in “The Pandemic Crisis Among Adventist Educators in the South Asian Context,” and André Vasconcelos and Eduardo Rueda Neto offer biblical insight into “Environmental Education in Light of the Bible.” A short devotional by Paulette Johnson titled “Weeding Lessons” motivates us to revisit areas of our lives that may need pruning. Finally, we share a brief history of this publication—its past, present, and future in “The Journal of Adventist Education: A History” by Editor Emeritus Beverly J. Robinson-Rumble and the current JAE editor.

We hope these articles encourage you. Beyond that, we hope this issue gives you much to consider as you make curricular and instructional decisions. We welcome article submissions and have a variety of sections to which you can contribute articles, such as Features, Perspectives, Best Practices at Work, book reviews, and highlighted resources. Take some time to review our guidelines for writers at https://www.journalofadventisteducation.org/author-and-reviewer-guidelines. We hope to hear from you soon!