Alma 1:26-27

"And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man according to his strength.
And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely."
Alma 1:26-27


I think this is great, talking about how the teachers and the learners were equal. I like the idea of leaving work in the middle of the day and having gospel discussions too. Cool. I think that adds a whole other level to education, when you feel like you are contributing as an equal, rather than just getting a lecture from someone who isn’t also listening to you. Probably important to remember, even just as we go through our normal day. It is really hard to teach people if you aren’t connecting with them as an equal… and it is really hard to learn when you feel you aren’t understood or valued.
Some of this reminds me of my classes in Education. Did you know that the biggest gaps in student test scores come if you divide the scores by income level? It’s a bigger gap than dividing them by ethnicity, which is second highest. That is scary.... and it's a huge gap, not just a few points. And I think that the second verse illustrates that they were equal in a lot of other ways too. They were working to be a Zion people, and closing those gaps. I think to achieve equality, the second verse is just as important as the first. We have to share what we have with others. if we are supposed to be one, and we are only attempting to be one with people of the same ethnic and socio-economic background, I think we are missing the point. :) Today, let’s remember to learn while we teach, and teach while we learn… and also remember that our goal is unity with the people around us… all working toward the same goal, and the same truth. :)