"Teacher...what's 'important'?"

This is a question that one of my sweet 3rd graders (Susan a sweet little Korean girl) asked me one day as I was introducing to them their weekly spelling list...one of the weekly spelling words happened to be the word 'important'...and my student's hand raised up and she asked me in her sweet, curious voice, "Teacher, what's 'important'?"



Susan is on the left with the glasses giving the peace sign :)

Now, I know she meant what is the definition of the word important, but because of how she worded her question it stuck with me the rest of the day. It reminds me of when the teachers of the Law asked Jesus, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" (Mark 12:28-34; also Matt. 22:34-40). Jesus' reply was, "The most important one...is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second one is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.'"

Wow. What a reminder of truly what's important. Loving God and loving people by knowing Him and making Him known.