Principal's Foreword
Not to be served, but to serve
What is greatness?
As parents and educators, we naturally want our children and students to be great. Great in their results, achievements, attitude and character.
In Matthew 20:20-28 (parallel text in Mark 10:35-45), the mother of two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, wanted her sons to be great. She made an audacious request for them to receive preferential treatment. She asked for her sons to be seated one at the right of Jesus and the other at the left in His kingdom. Those referred to places of privilege and positions of authority when Jesus would finally become King. They appeared to have a spirit of self-entitlement. However, as parents ourselves, we can fully understand Mrs Zebedee’s heart. Which parent would not want the best for his or her child?
When the other ten disciples heard this, they were indignant. The anger and annoyance they displayed were far from righteous or humble. They, too, wanted to be great. They could have been harbouring hopes of prominence in Jesus’ kingdom and had a fear of missing out. Had they not been close to Jesus and occupied a special role in His ministry, thus also deserving privileged positions?
As with all good teachers, Jesus used the incident as a teachable moment for all twelve disciples. He flipped commonly held notions of greatness on their heads. Instead of greatness being about status, power and prestige, Jesus’ definition of greatness was completely countercultural. He said the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them, but whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. In case his disciples missed the point, Jesus repeated it with stronger words: whoever wants to be first must be your slave.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve… (Mark 10:45a).
As King of kings, Jesus had every right to expect to be served, but He chose to serve. He did not merely pay lip service to that but set an example and demonstrated His servant leadership by washing His disciples’ feet the night He was betrayed, a task typically reserved for servants. His ultimate act of servanthood was to die on the cross for the world that had rejected Him.
Young people nowadays are often accused of being highly self-entitled. We blame it on families having fewer children, overprotective parents and an erosion of society’s moral values. This story in the Bible suggests that the spirit of self-entitlement is not new and existed even in biblical times. In fact, self-entitlement has existed ever since sin entered the world!
On the contrary, I know of many other-centred young people who desire to live purposeful lives by pursuing something bigger than themselves. They make sacrifices and give their time and resources to causes they believe in. These could range from climate change, special educational needs and disadvantaged families to more unusual areas such as wildlife protection. They look for mentors who inspire them to live not just for themselves, but to serve others. In seeking to serve others, they become better versions of themselves and make an even greater impact than if they had just served their own needs and interests.
In ACS (Primary), we prepare our young gentlemen to serve by nurturing them towards the ACSP Desired Outcomes: Active Contributors, Creative Collaborators, Servant Leaders and Passionate Learners.
As Creative Collaborators and Passionate Learners, they will be future-ready with a love for learning. Being able to approach problems creatively, use technology effectively and work collaboratively will enable them to serve as valued team members. When they are passionate about learning, persevere when faced with challenges and respond positively to feedback, not only will they learn well but also develop an abundance mindset. They serve by sharing their learning with others, thereby helping others to grow.
As Servant Leaders and Active Contributors, our gentlemen will have a strong moral character with a sense of agency. They will lead themselves and others, make responsible decisions and enjoy good relationships. They will care about what is happening in their community and seize opportunities to serve and make their community a better place for everyone.
We believe that when our gentlemen are actively engaged in learning opportunities that help them to develop the ACSP Desired Outcomes, they will experience joy and purpose in learning and living which will enhance their overall wellbeing and enable them to serve others more effectively, thereby following in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As parents and educators, let us be careful about pursuing worldly notions of greatness which may hinder our children from fulfilling their true potential of greatness in the kingdom of God!
To God Be The Glory. The Best Is Yet To Be!
Mrs Leong-Ho Hil May
Principal