Threshold from the highest
I have been watching HGTV for some years and even obtained contractors license during the pandemic. During the time when we were all stuck inside, I was remodeling and playing “Fixer Upper” with my dad. So when hearing the word threshold, that little piece of something in the doorway comes to mind. The thing that we cross when we are entering into or leaving a room. A method of transition from one place to the other. The authors doesn’t reference that type but spoke about threshold concepts. The concepts that you know if you know and can not un-know. Those concepts that could be seen as an avenue to greater understanding.
Immediately when thinking of things I considered threshold concepts they would be the core learnings of social work. Initially it was not my election of a career but quickly I accepted it as a calling. I would say that life’s experiences were a part of my teaching, but I have to give most credit to bible teaching or religious education. The threshold concept that I could not unlearn was to love one another. I discovered in social work that most of the work was to care for a person in love. I definitely could not lose that knowledge. I could choose not to use it but I could not unlearn it.
In order to reach a greater and effective way of practicing social work, I needed to know how to love my brothers and sisters. One of the greatest commandments. Seemingly one of the hardest commandments, the concept of loving one another. As explained in the reading the threshold concepts would take you to another level of thinking. This level of thinking would be considered advanced, creating a doubt that everyone would or could reach it.
Like any career or level of education, being able to reach certain thresholds does not come easy. Some individuals will be able to pass written test, get diploma’s and still not reach the threshold needed to be effective. Individuals will also be able to manage, supervise, and be promoted not ever reaching some of the needed thresholds. On the other hand reaching the threshold of loving your brother’s and sisters in christianity is reachable. It is a level of love that you can not return from, once you feel what it is to act in love life as you know it is not the same.
As we study how thresholds work academically in hopes to use them spiritually. I hope that we can all meet the expectations on both sides of the spectrum. I hope that no race, no gender, no region of the world will stop us from reaching the threshold that will bring victory to the kingdom. I pray we can meet the threshold concepts of the highest. Let’s continue to love one another.
As noted in the Bible.
John13:34
A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another.
2 responses to “Threshold from the highest”
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Shonnell – This was a beautiful reflection. Thank you for servant heart to serve through social work. It is, indeed, a special calling. As you wrote about the Christian threshold concept of loving one another, I was reminded of Christ’s supreme love for this works and every human upon it. Talk about a threshold! We will never fully understand that kind of love on this side of heaven, but thank you for giving me a glimpse of it through your work.
Hi Shonnell,
I agree with you on the importance of loving others. We see too much judgment in the Church. How could we encourage or teach others to cross the threshold concept of radical love as Jesus commands?