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Institute for Pastoral Initiatives News

Listen to Children; they will help you Kaizen!

By Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski

During the past week, Liliana Montoya, Director of our Hispanic programs, has brought her two children, ages 8 and 10 to the office after their morning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Summer Camp at Alter High School. These are beautiful children who are inquisitive, imaginative and interesting, to say the least.  Both love to read and most of the afternoons I will find them curled up and reading on one of the comfortable chairs around the office. 

After their first day of summer camp, the children dashed into my office to share what they learned in the morning. Listening to their enthusiasm and detailed explanation of an engineering activity,  I told them, “So, today you ‘kaizened!”  “What is ‘kaizen’, Sister?”  I explained it is a Japanese word for learning something new each day. Each day we are to ‘kaizen’.  This keeps us alert, fresh, creative and imaginative.  After offering them several short sentences for applying the concept to their summer camp reality, they were content, until the next day.

Each afternoon Fernando and Juliana dashed into my office and jumped into my huge, soft chair and proceeded to offer me a complete explanation/description of how they ‘kaizened’ in the morning.  We would end up in a 45-minute discussion. I would also add another word to expand their vocabulary, like elucidate, serendipity, etc.  I would soon find members of our team standing outside my office door listening to the animated conversation.

Then, there was a conversation above all the others worth recording. After the children enthusiastically shared their ‘new kaizening experience’ for designing a robot that really worked, Fernando leaned onto my desk, put his hands on his face, looked straight into my eyes and asked; “Sister, what do you think about ‘time’?” 

Stunned by the question and not sure if this was a practical question regarding time, I asked,  “What do you mean by time? Do you mean like the clock on my desk, or, time from a philosophical perspective ?" (yes, I used that term)   Fernando responded, “Simply time?  What is time? Where did time come from?” 

I pondered his question and gave it a shot.  Both children looked at me intently as I was drawing examples on a sheet of paper.  I told them the concept of the word ‘time’ is a creation of humanity, it is a term we use to measure the passing of morning to night. It is a way of measuring the day, work, play, etc.  We discussed how indigenous people measured what we call ‘time’ by the seasons of the year, the rotation of the earth around the sun and how monks in monasteries measured time by the ringing of chapel bells for calling the monks into the chapel for praying the Liturgy of the Hours.  I thought I gave a pretty good, simple explanation.  

Fernando said, “Well, this is okay but where did time come from? How was it created?”  Obviously my narrative did not address his question.  I realized, knowing him, that he already had some theory or idea behind his question he wanted to share.  So, I said, “Okay, what are you thinking?”

Straightening up tall in the chair with the most serious expression one could see on a 10-year-old, he said, “Well, you know, Sister,  God created time. God is the answer!”

I was thinking, Okay, this makes sense from a particular perspective,however, there must be more in Fernando’s mind that he wants to share. So I asked him, “Where in the bible do you find that God created time?” 

“God created the world, right Sister, he created the beginning," said Fernando.    "We find this in the Bible in the book of Genesis. God creates the beginning of all things and there will be an end. Thus, God created time. See this line (he continues to elaborate on a timeline he has drawn) – there is a beginning point and an end point. Point to point. This is time! God created time.” 

Fernando finishes his drawing and explanation and asks: “So, do my theories now make sense to you?  Now do you understand where time comes from and the meaning of time? Can you now believe what time is and how God has created time?”

I was now speechless.  I said, “You have given me much to think about, Fernando!

Now I have definitely just ‘kaizened.’ 

Sr. Angela Ann is the Director of the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives, which oversees many university-wide projects such as The Forum for Young Catechetical Leaders, The Forum for Young Catholic Hispanics, Christian Meditation in Catholic schools, Special Needs in Faith Formation, Chaminade Scholars pilgrimage from Assisi to Rome,Catholic Schools for Tomorrow,  The Caribbean School for Catholic Communications, and the VLCFF , an online religious education portal serving 70 Dioceses around the world  (Find us on Facebook too)  

 

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